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Timex announces
a new personal printer.
Just for the record.
Now Timex brings you a printer to go with your Timex Sinclair 1000 (M
or Sinclair ZX81.
The new Timex Sinclair 2040.
32 columns wide. Two lines per second. With full graphics and text capa¬
bility based on a dot matrix print mechanism.
The price: just $99.95.
The TS 2040 operates silently in two different modes:
□ Full-screen printing with single-key copy command.
□ Program-controlled printing mode allowing for custom control
of the printing format.
A printer that can give you a permanent record of your computer
programming at a very affordable price.
Just what you'd expect from Timex.
TIMEX COMPUTERS
For more information, circle 1 on Header Service Card.
C Timex Computer Corporation 1983
1
President
Terry Cartwright
Editor-in-chief
John Sterlicchi
Managing Editor
Joseph Gladstone
Art director
Vladyana Krykorka
Clive (urns computers to cosh, page 66
Education myths exploded, page 22
Production editor
Bill Gladstone
Art assistants
Andres Hannach
Don Kletke
Gwen Egan
Technical advisors
Robert Fraser
Igor Nowikow
Tom Perrone
Editorial assistant
Becky Ashwell
Chairman
Richard Hease
Timex Sinclair User is
published monthly by ECC
Publications Inc. in
conjunction with C.W.
Co mmunic ations/I nc ,
If you would like to
contribute to Timex Sinclair
User, please send programs,
articles or ideas for hardware
projects to:
Timex Sinclair User
49 LaSalle Avenue
Buffalo, N.Y. 14214
Programs should be on
cassette and articles should
be typed. If you wish your
material returned, enclose a
stamped, self-addressed
envelope.
We pay $20 for each program
published and $100 per 1000
words for each article used.
© Copyright 1983
Timex Sinclair User
ISSN 0737-0881
Typesetting by
I nternationaJ T y peset ti ng
Printers
Clark Franklin Kingston Press
Advertising manager
Bill York
Hajar Associates
(617) 444-3946
2
TIMEXPECTATIONS _ 3
Why doesn’t Timex provide more a/ier-sole support?
LETTERS _ 0
"The T/S1000 is more than a toy"
SOFTWARE _ _ _ 7
Space and adventure games and an assembler program reviewed
HARDWARE _ 12
In search of a golden memory
NEWS - _ 14
T/S10GG and ZX81 combined sales over 1,6 million; Clive Sinclair awarded; and
more
SPECIAL OFFER , _ . _ 15
Save 30% from the price of The 1983 Sinclair User Annual
COVER; THE GREAT CONNECTICUT KIT-BUILDING EXPERIMENT _ 1 6
Teacher Chris Baldwin helped 28 kids build computers from kits
EDUCATION _ __ _ _ : _ 22
Charles Durang explodes same old myths about computers in the classroom
FOCUS: CHESS SOFTWARE _ _ _ __ _ 28
Check our guide to chess programs before you make a move
HOW TO PROGRAM 30
Part two of John Gilbert s Jive-part senes
PROGRAM PRINTOUT 33
Bowhng, Alien Lure, Laser Cannon and other great new games
HINTS & TIPS _ I _ 42
Michael K. Barnett explains how to start using TfS graphics
PROJECT; EPROM BLOWER 46
Complete plans to build your own Erasable, Programmable ROM
USER GROUPS — - - 56
Is your group included in our notional listing?
STARTING OUT 61
What to do once your TISiOOO,ZX8i is home from the store
U.K- WINDOW — _ _ _ 63
Sinclair users in Britain eagerly await two new expansion systems
PROFILE: CLIVE SINCLAIR - _ 66
A glimpse of the man who made computers accessible to nearly everyone
BOOKS _ - _ 68
A kids book that will dehght beginners of alt ages; all about ROMs; and more
CONTEST 70
Win $20 for a clever, different, strange or unusual program
BULLETIN BOARD 71
New product information and upcoming events
•Inside a T/S1000
computer camp!
•Sneak preview
of the T/S2000!
and much more!
T/S1000,ZX81 users
wait in vain for important support
services
Timex needs higher profile
WELCOME to our second issue. Your response to our
first was overwhelming and really gratifying. From
all of us on this side of Timex Sinclair User to all of
you, “Thanks".
Our contest editor is screaming for more help to deal
with all the great games that are pouring in. In case this is
your first look at us, last month we started the first in our
series of contests. It required that you write a 41 great* * ac¬
tion game, but use only 2K of memory. The winners will
receive a contract to have their programs published and
sold nationally. Then they can rake in all those lovely royal¬
ty checks. The contest doesn't officially close until June 10,
so if you haven’t entered yet, it’s still not too late. For
details of our latest contest, flip to page 70. This one, we’re
sure, will challenge your imagination and skill.
Still on the subject of your input, the eight pages of Pro¬
gram Printouts that appear in every issue are also supplied
by you the readers. For any that we use, we pay $20. We
look for interesting and different programs. Programs that
we feel will be enjoyed by the readers that use them. You’ll
see one of the programs this month is by an eleven-year-old
and another by a fifteen-year-old. And finally on your let¬
ters to us> may I remind you that we like to share your ideas,
hints and problems. So many readers asked about graphics
on the T/S1000,ZX81, that our Hints and Tips column this
month is devoted entirely to that aspect of programming.
Timex Sinclair User was at the West Coast Fatre in San
Francisco (see the news item on page 14). While it was a
great fair, we were stunned by the fact that Timex had ab¬
solutely no presence there at all: not a hospitality suite, not
a booth, not a table, not even a speaker! It is our opinion
that at a personal computer show which attracted 50,000
spectators (each willing to pay $15) the company that has
sold more personal computers than any other in North
America has a need , * . no, an obligation to be there. An
obligation to support all those who chose the Timex
Sinclair computer as their personal choice. It would not
have had to be a large, elaborate affair, but it certainly
would have made us feel better if we could have had an
identification point with Timex there.
It is important that Timex provide owners with visible
support, if for no other reason than to show they consider
those owners important. There is a feeling in the market
place that Timex Sinclair computers are not serious
machines; that they are toys; that they are not capable of do¬
ing interesting and involved work, T/S,ZX owners know
this is not true. Anyone who has used the machine for a
while realizes this is not true. It would not only help build a
better image for the machine if Timex were at personal
computer shows, but it would also make those people who
own one now feel like they belong to a personal computer
fraternity.
Any person who buys a T/SlOQQ is a potential purchaser
of a larger machine. The Japanese have been threatening to
flood the $100, $200 and $300 price ranges with a whole set
of new machines. If we can judge by how the Japanese have
entered markets in the past, then we can expect these new
imports to arrive with great fanfare and much TV hooplah!
They are sure to be serious competitors to Timex Sinclair,
What better way for Timex to insure its place in the market
than to maintain a high profile with current owners and
keep potential owners thinking T/S? User loyalty can only
CTATIONS
be developed when users feel that both individually and as
a group they are seen to be important to Timex.
it makes good sense (and dollars) for both now and the
future that Timex become involved through fairs, shows
and user groups with owners. Each owner is a potential se¬
cond buyer, either of a Timex Sinclair machine or another
make. Each owner is a salesperson for Timex Sinclair,
either positively or negatively. Each owner has spent
money with Timex Sinclair and deserves after-sale support.
Timex has a good reputation! The T/S 1000 is a good
machine! We’re certain that the next computers from
Timex will be equally as good, Timex Sinclair User wants to
support Timex Sinclair computers. So, come on Timex,
help us say great things about you!
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER /une I9fl3
3
SYNTAX
Serving Timex-Sinclair
Personal Computers
A PUBLICATION OF THE HARVARD GROUP
ISSN 0273*2696
SYNTAX is a monthly newsletter exclusively for ZX80/
81/TS1000 owners. We bring you news, reviews and ap¬
plications for your computer, plus technical notes for
circuit-builders. SYNTAX also provides a forum for
thousands of users to share advice and problems about
programs and vendors. We bring you timely updates
about new hardware, software and books. And we cover
ufl the Sinclair- technology computers, including the new
TS1000.
At SYNTAX we emphasize practicality. You can apply
our suggestions even if you aren't sure at first why they
work, because we give you complete instructions. Text is
clear and easy to understand. SYNTAX readers already
know about:
• An automatic phone-dialer they can put together
in a few hours
• Syntactic Sums™ to check input for errors
• Programs to explore computer memory
• How to build external additional RAM
• How to add an 8212 I/O chip to control external
devices from their computers
And SYNTAX readers like what they get every month.
Subscribers know they can depend on us.
After receiving on/y three issues of SYNTAX, I
find that I anxiously await the next . . . keep up
the good work!
Martin Irons
Goshen, NY
Congratulations on the brass -tacks, down-to-
earth approach of your newsletter. Til be look¬
ing forward to future issues ,
Otis Imboden
Washington, DC
Many readers get their first issue and immediately order
the back issues— more proof that they like what they see.
You can see what's special about our publication. We
work hard to bring you a quality newsletter. We strive to
print useful programs of above-average accuracy. As any
computer magazine editor can tell you, program listing ac¬
curacy is tough to achieve, but we boost our average with
every issue. We test each program to make sure it works,
it fits in the designated RAM, and it runs when you follow
the directions. We print program listings in screen-image
format to make it easier for you (it's sure not easier for
us!) to enter program accurately. We invented Syntactic
Sum™ as an additional aid for you in getting error-free
programs. With your subscription you also get access to
thousands of other readers, and our staff experts are
available by phone to answer your questions or help you
solve problems with your machine.
SYNTAX readers get every month:
• Latest news of Z80 hardware and software
• Programs to organize information, calculate,
entertain, or instruct
• Do-it-yourself additions
• Clear explanations for beginners
To share the benefits of SYNTAX, just indicate your
choices on the order coupon and return it with your
choice of payment in U.S. funds. (Please note that addi¬
tional postage is required for delivery outside North
America.)
We are so sure you’ll find SYNTAX useful that we
promise to refund your entire subscription fee if you aren’t
satisfied. An unconditional guarantee— you can’t lose.
Join the others who stretch the ZX/TS to the utmost.
Act now— as soon as we receive your coupon with pay¬
ment ? your first issue will be on its way. For faster service,
phone your credit card order to 617/456-3661. Don’t
miss SYNTAX!
TSU583
Fill out the coupon below and mail it to: SYNTAX, SQ, RD2 Box 457, Harvard, MA 01451
L My check is enclosed. □ Please charge my □ VISA YES! Please send me:
□ The Combination (12 issues of SYNTAX and 4 issues
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□ This is a renewal My subscription number is: _ _
□ This is a new subscription.
SYNTAX QUARTERLY
by The Harvard Group
Increase Your
Computer's Utility
With Our Help
You own a powerful computer, capable of sorting,
analyzing, calculating, displaying and manipulating
data as well as measuring and controlling. Despite its
small size, your computer will help you learn, analyze
your business, keep your records or your schedule, dial
your phone, send messages, or talk to other computers.
To control the power available to you, you'll need hard¬
ware and software to use with your machine. Although
you can buy many of these products— and well tell you
about them— some you must create or modify for your¬
self. SQ will provide you with the complete information
to let you use your programming or tinkering time
efficiently.
Our experts also bring you SYNTAX, the newsletter,
for up-to-date, concise information* You need news and
new product announcements quickly* And SYNTAX
packs a lot of information into its brief, time-saving
format*
But we recognized your need for material too long to fit
in SYNTAX. Syntax Quarterly fulfills that special need.
In-depth, extensive, detailed information— that's what
SQ's all about* Long programs, big construction articles,
and detailed directions help you use your computer to Its
fullest while Learning.
SQ gives you tested, accurate information that you can
depend on. We test, we build, we check everything that
goes into SQ. Our staff experts work for you; it's as
though your full-time staff prepared a report for you
every quarter.
At SQ, we specialize in your machine— Timex-Sinclair
technology. Our programs and projects work, and,
because we test each one before we publish it, they work
on your machine. All the information in SQ can work for
you.
But, to capture these benefits — free software, free
plans for hardware, free instruction— you must subscribe.
Use the coupon to tell us how to help you best* Or call;
we understand people in a hurry. SQ
100 LET R*=*
£00 LET B* = *
250 LET Ct = ‘«
300 print
4-00 PRINT BL6$
500 PRINT B*( TO 7>,B*
600 PRINT B$( TO ?)#B$
700 PRINT R$ Bt
800 PRINT " TO J,B*
900 PRINT " TO > - B*
1000 PRINT B*,B*
1100 PRINT R*,RS
1200 PRINT RT ?,22;C*
1300 PRINT RT 9#24jC*
1400 FOR 1=0 TO 24-8
1450 IF X>8B AND I < 128 THEN GOTO
lt?00
1500 PRINT CHRS I;
1600 NEXT I
1700 PRINT RT 10 ,0J ** UE SPERK Y
OUR LANGUAGE
SYNTACTIC SUH: 22174, SK ROM
UE SPERK YOUR LANGUAGE 0123
45S78GABCDEFGH IJKLNNOPORSTUUUXYZ
RN DINKEY! - - - “
_ TQR ^nnrvF noi
SIN COS TRN R5N RCS RTN LN EXP .
INT SQR SGN RBS PEEK USR STR$ CH
R$ NOT OR RND < = > = <> THEN TO I
STEP LPRINT LLIST STOP SLOU ERST
NEU SCROLL CONT DIM REH FOR GOT I
O GOSUB INPUT LORD LIST LET PRUsI
E NEXT POKE PRINT PLOT RUN SAVE
For more in/ormolion* circle 2 on Reader Service Cord.
617/456-3661
617/456-3661
Letters
LENDING AN EAR
I purchased the Timex Sinclair to
see if a 60-year-old retired gent
could learn computer programm¬
ing, 1 do have problems finding
books that do more than teach one
to input programs and play games.
I have purchased five books on the
T/S1000 and ZX81 and have yet to
find an adequate explanation of
PEEK and POKE. Most of the com¬
puter magazines cater to "far out”
programming . . . very little is
published in the form of a course to
take the beginner through.
Thanks for listening.
Fred Kujawa
You are in luck, Fred.Starting in our
premier issue '(May 1983), we are
presenting a course in programming
written by John Gilbert. Take a
PEEK at it, POKE around it, and
be/ore you know it, you’ll be using
those /unctions with the best of
them.
KEEPING THE FAITH
I would like to say that ifs about
time someone believed the T/S1000
is more than a toy — I am personal¬
ly sold on it After Tve made all the
additions to it (keyboard, 64K RAM
pack, printer, etc.) I’d be willing to
bet the T/S1000 will match any of
those others!
I worked on an Apple in pro¬
gramming school, but bought the
T/S1000 because 1 can bring it up to
that level for less dollars. I am real¬
ly happy with it.
I just wanted to thank you for
having faith in the Timex Sinclair
computers, because I sure do!
David Brehm
We agree, David, and so do over a
million other computer enthusiasts.
Let us know what new ideas you
come up with for your machine.
COMPLAINT
DEPARTMENT
I am an owner of a T/S100Q but it
doesn't work. ! asked Sinclair for
some information on how to fix it
and all I got was a bunch of
nothing.
Thank you.
Roger Odan
Roger, you are saying what a great
number of people have said fsee our
interview with Dan Ross, May,
1933J. We have sent your letter on to
Timex. Let us know what happens.
0/0
Timex Sinclair User welcomes
reader's comments, compliments,
queries and complaints. Letters
should be addressed to: The Editor,
Timex Sinclair User, 49 La Salle
Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. 14214. Please
include your full name and address
when writing.
MI
VATION "WHERE ideas come to life’
16529 LAKESHORE ROAD C L E VE L A N D, Wl SCO N SI N 53015 PH. (414) 693 - 806 2
EXCLUSIVE TACTILE KEYBOARD OVERLAY
• RAISED DEPRESSABLE KEY AREAS - FEEL MOVEMENT $9.95
•STANDARD TYPEWRITTER KEY SIZE
•EASY CUSTOMER ATTACHMENT - OVERLAYS PRESENT KEYBOARD
OF THE TIMEX 1000 AND SINCLAIR ZX-81 HOME COMPUTERS
CONSULT YOUR LOCAL RETAIL STORE
For further information or mailorder via M.C. or Visa direct inquiry to InnovationCo.Dept . U
6 For more in/ormatjon, cirde 3 on Header Service Card. TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1963
This month we review space and adventure games
and an assembler that lets you program in machine language
Push-button
Wars
Shoot Your
Way T^H|
Safety
Description: Combat
Flight casts you as the com
mander of a fighter ship,
flying through moun¬
tainous terrain shooting at
alien ships. Seven types of
alien ships fly by. Points
scored depend on the
of alien you hit wit*
lasers. A player
lives per game.
After the game, the top
five scores are displayed
with the name of the player.
If you score in the top five
you add your name to the
list.
Evaluation: This is
good action game. The
speed of lasers is fast and
the response time of the
controls '
■ - ; •
..
alien
Fhgnt
mountain
must
good
graphics and fast action.
This games pack is a good
buy for those limited to 2K
of memory. (Circle 41* on
1 ' e
language to scroll stats
right to left across the1
screen. The playeT scores
points by moving a base in
front of the stars.
Evaluation: The major
problem with Starblaster is
the instructions. The infor¬
mation with the games
gives the wrong controls for
movement. Also, the in¬
structions do not dearly tell
the player how to score
points.
The other five games of
this package are all of a
Description; in Galactic
Invaders, sevdn alien crafts
fly randomly around the
screen, and fire at your
laser base. The base can
withstand seven hits before
it is destroyed. After all
seven crafts are destroyed,
seven more appear and
move at a higher speed * The
player scores one point for
each craft shot down.
Evaluation: Although this
may sound like a standard
g too high
Hihtp aliejj'fe
longing
ships
ght is a good
similar
son the
Us
Jpeed makes , ihia >a gwd
game. The player is given
an initial choice of speeds
from 1 to 100, When i
played; speed fj| was too
^ slow and lOpwas toa fast.
At speed 50,. I destroyed 53
enemy crafts.
■ One annoying feature of
/• this game is that the alien
crafts often land on the
'. ground for long periods of
tirne. When this happened,
J felt obliged ..to ram the
craft with my laser base.
Galactic Invader works
in 16K and is distributed by
Sams. It is a simple, fast ac¬
tion game that can be en¬
joyed by all ages. Definitely
a must for the video game
connoisseur. (Circle 42 on
reader service card,)
Rating: 8
market. I found the game a
little too repetitive in its ac¬
tion and would not want to
play it often. Distributor:
Melbourne House Ltd,
Memory: 16K.
Rating: 7,
4444444
Fast Action
In 2K
^Inscription: In TS
Destroyer, you fly in the
center of the screen, and ob-
jets fly toward ypu from the
left; you must dodge or
shoot them. At the same
time, another spaceship is
flyjng up and down to your
k right, taking shots at you.
fn Space Raid, you con¬
trol a gun that moves
horizontally across the bot¬
tom of the screen. When a
spaceship appears at the
top of the screen with an
alien inside, you must shoot
<a ' hole through the
spaceship and hit the alien
in the left foot before a laser
beam from the ship hits
you.
Evaluation: I was very
surprised by the high quali¬
fy of these two games. Pro¬
grammed in machine
language, they have the
speed and excitement
found in larger 16K games.
The speed of movement
in TS Destroyer is very im¬
pressive. Playing this game,
I was so busy trying to
dodge objects from the left
that I failed to see the ship
at the right shoot me in the
back.
The Space Raid game is
very similar to invasion
Force. The computer
graphic of the alien stan¬
ding in the spaceship is well
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
7
NOW ATS1000/ZX81
PUSH-BUTTON
KEYBOARD
FOR UNDER $20.00
At last there’s a really cheap but
efficient way of ironing out theTS1000/ZX81’s
only real bug: its keyboard. The Filesixty
Buttonset offers
■ A full -travel calculator- type moving
keyboard for only $19.50.
■ Installed in seconds. The peel off
adhesive backing means you just register into
position and press.
■ No messy labels, dismantling or
soldering.
■ 3 groups of colour keys to pick out
shift, numerals and newline.
■ Precision moulded in ABS to match
your TS1000/ZX81, with contrasting legends
for maximum legibility.
Orders to Filesixty Ltd., 25 Chippenham Mews, London W9 2AN,
England .Tel: 01-289 3059. Telex: 268 048 EXTLDN G 4087.
I _ /
fonoQ •
1. Make sure the original key boar d is clean
and check that all the keys function.
2 The Buttonset is held in place
by sett adhesive pads.
3. So all you do is remove the
protective backing.
Ion □□□□□□□□
r r : □ □ TT:: □ nTT
□ □ □□ i □ □ □ □
4 And place it centrally on your IS 1000 ZX81
Cheques/money orders made payable to Filesixty Ltd “I
Please send me _ _ _ (qty.) Buttonset(s) j
I at $19.50 each (inclusive of postage & packaging).
Total $ _ BLOCK CAPITALS '
Address
| OLCHC _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C|
|_zn _ FILESjXI_Yj
For more Information, circle 3 on Reader Service Card*
done. The descending laser
beam from the ship is
challenging to avoid.
Neither of these games
prints a score* Usually I like
to see a score after I’ve been
shot, hut in these games, it
didn’t matter. For 2K game
players, this tape is a must.
The distributor is Softsync,
(Circle 43 on reader service
card*)
Rating: 9
*******
A-maze-ing
3-D overview
Description: Labyrinth
is a game sold by Mindware
that creates a maze which
the player must go through*
At the start of the game, the
player must choose the
width and height of the
maze. Before entering the
maze, the player is given
the option of seeing it first
This gives the player plenty
of time to plan a route
through the maze.
The player is shown an
image representing his view
of the maze showing door¬
ways and corridors in three
dimensions. Movement
through the maze is done by
four direction keys. At any
point the player can give
up and see a full view of the
maze. The computer will
show the path that was
taken by the player
Evaluation: Labyrinth is
an interesting game
because the player sees
such a small portion of the
maze. The three-
dimensional graphics
showing the passageways
are adequately handled
with the T/S1OO0,ZX81
graphics* The game is quite
difficult the first couple of
times. With practice,
however, the passageways
are easier to recognize and
movement through the
maze is much simpler. This
is an interesting game but
not a classic! (Circle 44 on
reader service card)*
Rating: 7,
More Missile
Madness
Description: A missile
launcher moves up and
down on the left side of the
screen in the program call¬
ed Missile Launcher* You
fire missiles at ammunition
dumps on the right side of
the screen. The player gets
25 shots and scores points
for hitting the ammunition.
Bonus points are scored for
destroying an entire am¬
munition dump.
Evaluation: Shooting at
targets is a popular concept
in games but, to be most ef¬
fective, any such game re¬
quires an opposition that
Assembler offers
Description: Machine
language programming is
very slow and tedious
without using an assembler
program. International
Publishing and Software
sells ZX Assembler, a pro¬
gram that allows you to
enter and edit machine
language using mnemonics.
ZX Assembler occupies
7K and is located at the top
of memory. It stores the
machine language in a
REM statement at the start
of the Basic program and
the assembly language in a
second REM statement. An
easy-to-follow 26-page
manual comes with the pro¬
gram, describing its use in
detail.
Editing functions allow
you to insert and delete
characters and lines.
Numbers can be entered in
decimal or hexadecimal.
Mnemonics can be entered
very quickly because the in¬
put response time is fast.
The program also con¬
tains a monitor which has
many useful functions.
From the monitor, one can
run a machine code routine
for testing, inspect and
modify registers, search for
numbers, and display the
HEX contents of memory.
Evaluation: Its high
speed makes machine
language very attractive to
serious programmers. Ex¬
ecution speed of instruc¬
tions is far superior to Basic
instructions. Programming
in machine language is
much more difficult than
Basic but programs such as
ZX Assembler offer the pro¬
grammer valuable aid.
Without an assembler,
programmers must POKE
into memory the decimal
code for each instruction.
Editing in this manner
becomes very difficult. ZX
Assembler contains all the
functions necessary for
easy machine language
programming.
The major drawback
with ZX Assembler is its
location in memory. It uses
7K of memory, limiting the
size of the basic program.
Because it is not
relocatable, its position
limits programmers with
greater memory to 16K.
ZX Assembler is a very
useful tool for beginners or
professionals. A beginner
with a good book on Z80
machine language will find
this program easy to use.
(Circle 45 on reader service
card.) Rating: 8
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1903
shoots back. Missile Laun¬
cher, programmed entirely
in Basic, is too simple and
slow.
The player controls only
the firing of missiles. This
requires the player to judge
when the row of the missile
launcher equals the row of
an ammunition dump. This
16K game, distributed by
Intercomputer, did not hold
the interest of this reviewer
for very long, so I played it
only a couple of times. (Cir¬
cle 46 on reader service
card.)
Rating: 5
*******
Defend your
planet
Description: You are in
charge of a missile launcher
and must save Earth from
invading spaceships. With
15 rockets, you must choose
a velocity to shoot down the
invaders. The direction of
each rocket is determined
by the velocity you choose
for it.
If that sounds like an ex¬
citing game, then you
would probably like Galac¬
tic Invasion, sold by Inter¬
national Computers Ltd,
This is one in a set of six
16K programs on one tape.
Also on the tape are three
action games, a solitaire
game and a drawing pro¬
gram.
Evaluation: This form of
Galactic Invasion is very
simple in graphics and
design. The alien invaders
are represented by 35 plot¬
ted points, and a message at
the top tells you how many
spaceships are left. This
game may be adequate for
children but most adults
will find it slow.
The five programs with
Galactic Invasion are also
slow and simple. This tape
is not recommended to
those who like action. (Cir¬
cle 47 on reader service
card.)
Rating: 5 0/0
9
NOW YOU CAN HAVE
ALL THE ANSWERS
With the most complete Sinclair software library available.
30 PROGRAMS
FOR THE
SINCLAIR
ZX81
a°o*
Tt<£
Ofi
TH(
? Ur
TiMb
**6
*T'
’OQo
‘yoe
Th
Its friendly style i$ poiniess reading
analogies help make this longuag
This introduction is a must/' Now o
only $14.95
NOT ONLY 30 PROGRAM
is a collection of programs for tl
ZXBVTSIOOa Not only Battle;
Blackjack, Wall Breaker, Mi
IK Draughts, but also each
programming hints, spate
PEEK and POKE exploi
ZX Computing said "Tl
tan be crammed into Si
Now available for only f
THE COMPLETE TIME]
ZX81 ROM Oisassembl
D r. Logan a n d Dr. F ran lc O' Haro
all routines in the ROM ond comment on _ _ _
This book is a must for the experienced programmer
L Qrdinateur Individual (the leading French personal
computing magazine) said- 'Dr. Ian lagan has
disassembled the 8K monitor program at the 2X81 /
TS1000- For those who want to write programs in
machine language, it Is PART A which is the more
interesting, because it contains the majority of BASIC
commands, while Part B is far more technical,
comprising essentially of the ZX81 /TSJQQtfs {looting
point calculator, In conjunction with Understanding
Tour ZX8J ROM this book allows anyone well
*-534.!
cassettes ore also avoraRMH
PIUS
award winning
software!
OR. IAN LOO**
UNDERSTANDING YOUR ZX81 ROM
by Dr, Ion Logan
SYNC Magazine soid: "SYNC readers will recognize
Dr. Logan as o major ZX80/81 expert whose writings
are well worth wile. Understanding Your ZX81 ROM is
no exception. The book falls logically into five parts:
o brief review of the ZBQCPU, next o quick intro¬
duction to the internal arithmetic and number base
manipulations; a discussion of the Z80 machine code
instructions grouped by function; a detailed exam¬
ination of the relevant parts of the BK ROM; Dr Logan
introduces machine code programming by treating it
os an extension to Basic; and complete listings of the
more important 8K ROM routines are given os well as
the usual tables of machine code language
instructions, decimal- hexadecimal conversions, and
keycodes. Understanding Your ZXBl ROM should be
high on yaur list." Now available far only $14.95
MACHINE LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING
MADE SIMPLE
Michael Roberts, SYNTAX Magazine wrote:
"I wanted to review this book because I'm the person
it was written for. I taught myself BASIC ond can
now do most of the things I want to with it. I felt that
Machine Language would be o good addition to
speed up some programs and improve display. The
idea of Machine Language "mode simple' appealed
to me. It's the best exploration of Machine Language
for Machine Language beginners I've seen,
Orders to: M tLBUUKNI HOUSE SOFTWARE INC.
Dept. CS 347 Reed wood Drive, Nashville, tn 37217
TAPES:
□ 13941 Gamestape 1:11 Programs -IK
□ 13942 Gamestape 2: 3 Games- 16K
□ 13943 Gamestape 3 Catacombs
Adventure -16k
1 3944 Games tape 4: 3D Monster Maze -161
1 3945 Camestape 5: 3D Qrblter- 16K
r 26446 Space trek- 16K
L 26359 Super Invasion -IK
26318 Wall Bus terS-IK
26472 10 Exciting Programs -IK
I 26284 Reversi-IK
C 26406 TOOlbOX -IK
26490 Basic Course 2 cassette pack
c 14026 combat Flight -16K
114.95
$14.95
$14.95
$14.95
$14,95
$14.95
$14,95
$14.95
$14,95
$1495
$14.95
$7.50
$1495
Enclosed Is my check or money order for $ _
Please charge my Visa or Mastercard Card*
Visa and M/C orders
can be phoned tn: 615/361-3738
Dealer orders and queries: 800/251-5900
(ask for a Melbourne House operator!
BOOKS;
25895 The Co m pie te B a sic Course
25957 Machine Language Programming
Made Simple
20922 The Complete Timex/Stndatr
ROM Disassembly
26025 Not only 30 Programs
2 591 3 Understa ndl ng You r 2 XB1 ROM
□ 51539 ins and Outs of the Timex
TSIOOO
$34.50
$14.95
$1995
$9.95
$14,95
$12.95
TOTAL: S
Residents of CA, md, tn, please add sales taxes:
Add $2 for Shipping i Handling, foreign orders add $6:
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For more information, circle 4 on Reader Service Card.
Basic
THE MICRO COMPUTER OUSINESS
WILL GROW FROM $10 TO $100 BILLION
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i ■ Ttl* se are some of Ihe 100-pius businesses covered in PART ONE of the manual with the
^ 1 T ■ 'acl5 0fl st,rl 3nid run Start-up Cost ( Even how to operate on a shoestring ). Wh^i profits
L I ■ ro **P*ct, Wholesale prices. Mark-ups, Suppliers, future outlook, case histories tor each etc:
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c 1902. THE COMPUTER ENTREPRENEUR
Circle 7 on Inquiry Card
In search of a golden memory
THE MOST important
hardware device you can
add to your computer is a
memory unit. In this article
we analyse three memory
units for design, flexibility,
durability and cost: the
Memopak 16K, the Sinclair
!6K RAM and the Panda
10K.
These connect to the
T/ SI 000 via the expansion
port at the rear of the com¬
puter. The design of the
unit is very important
because it must fit tightly to
the computer* If the fit is
loose, programs may be lost
easily by any movement*
This can be very annoying
when you are trying to
change the tape recorder
leads to save a program. We
have lost many programs
this way*
From the pictures, you
can see that the Memopak
unit stretches right across
the length of the computer*
The unit comes with velcro
tabs to help make the con*
nection firmer* We have
also used tape and elastic
bands for the same purpose*
The Sinclair RAM is a
smaller unit* It does not fit
to the back of the computer
as well as the Memopak.
We have had great difficul¬
ty inventing ways to pre¬
vent this unit from wob¬
bling*
The Panda RAM is built
similarly to the Sinclair
RAM but its fit on the ex*
pension bus is much
tighter* We used this unit
extensively for two weeks
and found no problem with
its design.
For design, we feel the
best unit is the Memopak*
Its structure is best suited
Reviewer Bob Fraser tests
three 16K units and finds
each falls short of perfection
0
When the
lights go
out . . .
THE Cramic*01 is a low-
power, battery*backup
RAM, It uses up-to-date
technology such as lithium
batteries to maintain your
RAM's contents even when
the power is disconnected.
It is ideal for keeping large,
often used programs,
machine code routines or
programs you are working
on without the bother of
having to load them from
cassette each time. This
unit can be used in c on j unc¬
tion with another RAM
pack and either one can be
selected for use by a switch
on the C ramie-81. If you
happen to wander off For
ten years and then return to
your machine, chances are
the Cramic-81 will still be
working and remember
where you left off.
For more information,
circle reader service
number 51 .
for the
T/S100Q* We
tike its appearance best,
although the polar bear on
the Panda is a nice touch*
The second category we
have defined is flexibility. A
memory unit must allow ex¬
ternal devices such as
printers easy access to the
expansion bus. All three
memory units allow this but
the Memopak has a slight
advantage because it also
has an edge connector
behind it, allowing a printer
to be attached in front or
behind it.
The third category
rating memory units is
durability. How long will it
work? We have used many
Sinclair and Memopak
memory units and can rate
them fairly. The Panda has
been only tested for a two
week period, so its durabili¬
ty is still questionable*
When we first began us¬
ing Sinclair computers, we
used the •- — * *•*'
Sinclair RAM.
After much use, they began
getting warm easily and fre¬
quently lost programs. We
tried many types of memory
units, finding most of them
to be unreliable, until we
found the Memopak.
The Memopak lasts
much longer than the
Sinclair RAM* For people
with larger memory needs,
Memotech also sells 32K
and 64K Memopaks* They
are of equal quality.
The table shows our
rating of the memory units
discussed here. We have
not rated the Panda for
durability after only two
weeks of testing, but we will
say it hasn't yet caused a
single problem. (Stonechip
Electronics, a British firm,
is currently looking for an
American distributor for
ZX- Panda, which sells for
about £20 in Britain.)
e/e
12
1
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER
YTE-BACK modules
64-K MEMORY $129.3,?
BYTE-BACK’S MD-1
MODEM $119.*!
ASSEMBLED & TESTED $149.95
Use your phone to connect your "LITTLE" computer to the
"LARGEST" computer networks in the world. With BYTE-
BACK's MD-1 MODEM connected ell you do is dial a phone
number (usually local), press a few keys and watch the data
appear on your TV screen. (Software is included) This
"originate" or "answer"
MODEM can be used in either the
mode with selectable baud rate.
You can have immediate access to:
UNIVERSITY COMPUTERS, DOW JONES, UPI
COMPUSERVE PACKAGE WITH 5 FREE HOURS ONLY $34.95
As an extra bonus an f?S-232 port Is provided to allow you to
drive all standard RS-232 peripherals, (73 to 9600 Baud.)
BYTE-BACK’S BB-1
CONTROL MODULE
$59.8ft In Stock!
ASSEMBLED & TESTED $69.00
• 8 Independent Relays
(with LED status indicators)
• 8 Independent TTL Inputs
(with Schmitt trigger buffers)
* By using a single POKE command you
can change and latch the status of each of
the 8 relays.
* Your computer can read the status of all 8
inputs by the use of a single PEEK
command.
* A comprehensive manual is included that
has complete application details,
* More than one BB-1 can he used at a time.
$139.9S ASSEMBLED & TESTED
In Stock !
With
BATTERY BACKUP
the “ULTIMATE MEMORY” UM-64
FEATURES:
• Battery backup
• PROM/ROM socket
• Reset Switch.
• BYTE-BACK EXLCLUSIVE FULL 64-K
The 0-8K area is available. You can execute a copy
routine (provided) to copy the TIM EX ROM into the
0-8K area of RAM then flip a switch and you have
your operating system in RAM. You can modify it
and create your own customized operating
system. Full details, examples & programs included.
WHY PAY MORE FOR LESS FEATURES?
GET THE “ULTIMATE MEMORY”
BYTE BACK S UM-64
16K MEMORY UM-16 $59 . ® * $6 9,” a sse m b I ed & I es ted
Battery backup, reset switch, PROM/ROM
socket PLUS. ... 1 year, 100% trade-in credit
towards the UM-64.
RS-232 Module $5S.95
ASSEMBLED & TESTED $69.95
Allows you to connect your computer to all RS-232 printers & terminals
ALL MODULES CARRY 90-DAY WARRANTY
TRY BYTE-BACK MODULES FOR 10 DAYS WITH NO OBLIGATION
ll
BYTE BACK
KEYBOARD
$89.95
We use the same
key switch found in
the expensive com¬
puters such as;
Hewlett Packard,
Texas Instru¬
ments, Atari, D.E.C etc. The multi-colored key caps are the same type
used on the IBM Personal Computer, but with the TIMEX (edgens.
EXPERIENCE QUALITY
Shipping and Handling S4.95
ORDER PHONE (803) 532-5812
ITEMS ORDERED:
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r > r. i- ■
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Name _
Address „
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Checks Accepted
Card No.
City/State/Zip
Phone _
Dealer Discounts Available
Mail To: BYTE-BACK CO.
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For more information, circle 6 on Header Service Card.
M
Clive
sells 1.6
computers . . .
. . . and snags
award
Sinclair Research has
claimed to be the first com¬
pany to sell more than one
million home computers.
Since it began selling the
2X80 three years ago it has
sold 130,000 ZX8Gs, 750,000
ZX81s and 200,000 Spec-
trums, an upgraded version
of which is to appear soon
in North America as the
rr/S2000. And these figures
CLfVE SINCLAIR: neither
young nor □ businessman
No Faire for Timex
Fifty thousand people
agreed that the 8th West
Coast Computer Faire, held
in San Francisco From
March 18 to March 20, was
fantastic. It boasted 500 dif¬
ferent exhibitors ranging
from the small single-booth
entrepreneur selling tapes
and books to the “big guns11
like Apple, Commodore
and I.B.M. No, we didn't
forget to mention Timex,
they just didn't bother
showing up. We don't know
why they weren't there, but
a lot of Timex Sinclair
owners were awfully disap¬
pointed with Timex's ap¬
parent lack of interest and
support.
On a brighter note, Jim
Warren, known as the Faire
Chair, was delighted with
the great turnout. You
would be too, I'm sure, with
50,000 in attendance at $15
a head, which, to be fair*
did let you in for all three
days.
For those looking to
learn, there were seminars,
lectures, workshops and in¬
terest groups. The business
person could shell out an
extra $125 to hear Arnold
Roberts talk for five hours
on “How to Select a
Business Computer.1'
Others, for free, listened to,
worked at, and struggled
through such sessions as
“Venture Financing for
New High Tech Com¬
panies", “LOGO & Kids",
“Word Processing", and
“The Esoterics of Computer
Games." For those yearning
for fun, there were video
games in abundance . . ,
and all free.
Next year they'll do it all
over again. Same place,
same time, but hopefully
better weather. The 9th
West Coast Computer
Faire, which takes place
March 23 to 25, 1984, is still
looking for speakers. If you
have a talk you know people
are waiting to hear, call or
write:
Computer Faire
345 Swett Road
Woodside CA 94062
(415) 851-7077
The deadline is
November 30th, 1983. We'll
see you at the Faire!
— Joseph Gladstone
do not include the 600,000
T/SlOOOs sold since it was
launched in July last year.
The claim to be the first
past the million mark is
disputed by Commodore,
which claimed it had reach¬
ed that point Last year.
Clive Sinclair, chief ex¬
ecutive and chairman, said
he is very pleased with the
figures. “They are a
magnificent achievement
for all concerned. With the
2X81 entering its third year
of production the figures
demonstrate beyond doubt
the long-term viability of
the computer as a long-term
consumer product ”
More than 200,000
Sinclair or Sinclair-based
computers are now sold
every month throughout the
world.
The British newspaper
The Guardian has named
Clive Sinclair as the Young
Businessman of the Year.
The award is made annual¬
ly to people in Britain who
have shown particular abili¬
ty in business.
Past winners have in¬
cluded Sir Michael Ed¬
wards, the man responsible
for improving the ailing for¬
tunes of Britain's state-
owned carmaker BL,
The award has caused
some amusement as Clive
claims to be neither young
nor a businessman. At 42,
he is more than twice the
age of many of the young
entrepreneurs now reputed
to be making vast sums
from the rapid growth of
the home computing
market in Britain.
• See our pro/ile of Clive
Sinclair beginning on page
62.
U.K. Hoax Exposed
Last April, the British
counterpart to this
magazine, Sinclair User, ran
a program entitled
“Machine Code Converter"
^4%
14
that was amazingly
economical — only 27 lines
long. “Now a brilliant piece
of programming enables the
Basic programmer to con¬
vert his listing automatical¬
ly into machine code by
LOADing from a tape or by
entering the program line
by line from the keyboard,'1
claimed the instructions
alongside the program. But
readers discovered dif¬
ferently when they tried if
and found an unexpected
message printed on their
screens: APRIL FOOLS!
“We got great feedback
on this,’’ says Editor Nigel
Clark. “Most of our readers
just loved it. But one man
was so disgusted he cancell¬
ed his subscription."
Oh well, seems some peo¬
ple can't take a joke, 0/S
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER
SPECIAL
OFFER
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Get the best of British
Sinclair with . . .
The Sinclair User
Annual
NOW — the best programs, advice and fea
tures from the top Sinclair com¬
puter magazine in the U.K. are
available in North America in
Sinclair User Annual!
SINCLAIR USER ANNUAL —from the
home of the Sinclair (Timex) ^
computer comes the best of the
top-selling magazines, Sinclair User, ^
Sinclair Programs and Sinclair Projects!
TIMEX SINCLAIR COMPUTERS — originated in the U.K. three years ago
where there are now over one million users. Sinclair User Annual
gives you the cream of their programs, projects and ideas!
T/S1000.ZX81 — get more fun, more knowledge, more programs, practical
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The Great Connecticut
Kit-Building Experiment
“The children worked
with an intensity and
excitement I have
rarely seen in my years
of teaching”
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
For New Haven teacher
Chris Baldwin and 28 kids
who enrolled in his 10-week
ZX81 workshop, it was a
resounding success
IT USED TO BE THOUGHT, and
still is in some school systems,
that programming instruction
and hands-on computer time
belong in the high schools. It is now
finding its way into the grade
schools, more often as a result of
student and parent pressures than
of the vision of school boards. I’ve
seen typical nine and ten-year-olds
program in BASIC, and six and
seven-year-olds in Logo. Kids with
this learning opportunity have a
tremendous, perhaps decisive, ad¬
vantage — but only a few have this
opportunity! Until schools
recognize their responsibility and
provide every child with daily ac¬
cess to a computer, this sad waste
will continue.
That’s a strong statement, but the
more I work with children and
computers, the more I see what the
experience can mean to a child’s
self-image. I know a child has made
an important breakthrough in how
she sees herself and her world
“The more I work with
children and
computers, the more I
see what the
experience can mean to
a child’s self-image”
when she stops asking 4How do I do
X?’ and begins saying, ‘I wonder if
this will do X?' She returns to a
natural approach of playfulness
and discovery about her world in a
school setting in which many
pressures work to dull that ap¬
proach.
One point I continue to make to
policy-makers {with limited success
to date) is to ask them to carefully
consider which expenditure of
$2,200 best serves a school's needs:
one Apple II with a monitor,
printer and disk drive, or eight
T/SlOOOs, televisions, cassette
recorders, printers and 16K
memories? Through my work with
kids and computers, I became con¬
vinced of the importance of giving
all children free access to com¬
puters.
¥ N THE spring of 1982, I placed an
A ad in the school newspaper of¬
fering to help kids build ZX81 kits.
Parents were to pay $150 for a kit,
all supplies, and my time: a
reasonable charge as the complete
ZX81 alone was then selling for that
price. I expected half a dozen
replies: within Four days I had 28,
mostly from 10 and 11-year-old
boys. In this age group it is hard to
attract girls to what they already
see as a male realm.
There was no screening of kids
for this workshop. They
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
Chris Ra/dmn (above) and kids; no problem
was an solvable,
represented a valid cross-section of
abilities and experience in kit-
building and computers. The com¬
mon thread was excitement and in¬
terest about computers. Most did
not know how to solder; most did
not know what soldering was.
Could youngsters master this
delicate art?
As the starting date approached,
my wife's worries that I had bitten
off more than I (or the kids) could
chew raised doubts in my mind —
doubts about working with so large
a group on a project requiring pa¬
tience, certain fine motor skills,
and care in following directions.
When I saw a review in a popular
computing magazine that asserted
that building the 21X81 kit was a
More than half the
computers worked
when they were first
plugged in
project to be undertaken only by
adults, my concern grew.
By the third two-hour session, all
our doubts had vanished. The
children worked with an intensity
and excitement I have rarely seen
in my years of teaching. Sure they
made mistakes along the way, but
all were caught and corrected. No
problem was unsolvable. An in¬
complete kit necessitated a letter to
Sinclair; a few lost pieces
necessitated several trips to Radio
Shack; a few solder burns
necessitated we keep first-aid sup¬
plies handy, I threw my back out
and conducted several sessions flat
atop a table.
I anticipated the children would
finish in six or seven sessions and
spend the rest of the time using
their computers; week by week, an¬
ticipation and worry grew over
whether the computers would
work.
They were completed between
the eighth and tenth sessions.
When we plugged them in for the
first time, more than half worked
right away; after faults were
discovered and repaired (the most
common were shorts in the sockets
and under the keyboard connec¬
tors) most of the others also became
functional. Only one had multiple
problems, including a cold solder,
which took longer to track down. In
the months since, there has been
only one failure we have not been
able to correct ourselves.
You see stories in the local press
headed, “Whiz kid builds own com-
17
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puter,” but it somehow seems too
frequent an occurrence to justify
calling anyone a whiz. I believe that
just about any 10-year-old could do
it if given the opportunity and
minimal guidance.
Last September, I started the
New Haven Sinclair Study Group
to provide continuing stimulation
for kids using Sinclair computers.
We meet on alternate Tuesday
nights through the school year. Half
“Can 11-year-olds
master the delicate art
of soldering?”
of each meeting is given to a discus¬
sion demonstration or lesson, and
the other half to sharing work, com¬
paring problems and exchanging
ideas.
T LIKE TO TELL KIDS that the
Sinclair case is black only to
those who will not look at it; to
anyone who uses the computer, the
case is really transparent and Clive
Sinclair meant for everyone to see
inside it and understand it and put
it to work in new and better ways* I
hope the kits become available
again and that the T/S2000 finds a
place in our schools. That way; we
can live up to Clive Sinclair's
philosophy of bringing computer
power to all the people. Computers
are very powerful tools, and we
need to see ourselves in a position
of mastery, not intimidation.
— As told to Boss Williams
Comments from the Kids
TATE asked the members of the New Haven Sinclair Study Group to tell us
* ■ about the ZX81 and their experiences building it, Some of their comments:
I can remember the first day of the computer club how scared I was. It
seems silly to think of it now but I was really scared, I thought I would get burn¬
ed or something. It looked so confusing I mean when I opened the box the parts
were kept in for the first time all I saw were tons of little odds and ends. These
odds and ends are now my ZX81.” _ Avery Grauer oge j ,
I can barely remember trying my first solder. I was so nervous 1 could barely
hold the soldering iron* After I had completed my first solder, I thought, well,
I ve only got 299 solders to go! And believe me those 299 solders were not easy!"
— Kent Zimmer maun, age 2 1
“I kept messing up by filling holes with solder and putting diodes in the
wrong holes. After I finished, it did not work, but with some adjusting it worked
^ine' — Jennifer House, age 1 1
"It was fun building it"
— Andy Cohen, age 9
"It is so small, light-weight and compact it’s hard to believe it is a computer."
— Wyeth Friday , age 1 1
The ZX81 is a very good first computer. There are a lot of things you can do
with just IK that you wouldn't dream of doing when you first get it home."
Michael SJavinsky, age 1 1
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
19
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Making the Most Of Your ZXSi . . P71 $10.95
Computer for Kids, ZX81 Edison . . C71 $4.95
Explorers Guide to the ZX81 . . T7Q $1 2.95
ZX81 Companion . . . G72SB.95
49 Exploding Games for the ZX81 ........... P72 $10.95
Not Only 30 Programs for ZX81 IK . B72 $9.95
Machi ne Language Made S i mple . B73 $1 4,95
Mastering Machine Code on your ZX81 ... P73 $1 2,95
ZXB1 Rom Disassembly: Part A Both for
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Understanding your ZX81 ROM „„„„ . 076 $14,95
NEW RAM PACK STORES 16K EVEN WITH POWER
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CRAM 1C -61 is a 16K RAM pack using CMOS
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CRAMIC-81 module uses chips made in a special
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An ordinary Rampack can also be connected
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CRAMiC-Bi comes in an elegantly molded lie-fiat
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Cassette Software
ZX FORTH
A complete implementation of the FORTH language for
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FORTH s most distinctive feature ■$ its flexibility The
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(her definitions FORTH i$ a complied language so pro¬
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BASIC!
ZX FORTH is supplied on cassette and is accompanied
by extensive documentation
06 page Users Manual
8 pa ge E di I or M an ual ^43 *2® 95
ZX BUG
Machine Code Monitor and Disassembler
ZXBUG is a powerful tool ror machine language pro¬
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mMdr Z41 $14.95
ZX ASSEMBLER
This Machine Code program occupies 7K of memory
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The monitor has facilities to inspect memory, registers
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Z40 $1 4,95
TOOLKIT
9 Powerful New Functions!
RENUMBER This routine renumbers a program in any
step and from any line up to 9999
DELETE This command deletes a group of lines in a pro¬
gram
MEMORY Prints how much spare memory is available
DUMP Displays current values of string and numerical
values except arrays
FilMD Will find any string ol up to 255 characters and list
each line containing lhat string
REPLACE Replaces any string of up lo 255 characters
by any other siring
SAVE Transfers program m computer to below RAM
TOP
APPEND Allows two programs io be joined
REMKILL Removes all REM statements from a program,
otherwise leaving it unchanged, preserving memory
Z42 $14.95
Z- AID 1.0
Includes I he following routines
VERIFY confirms whether a program has been recorded
properly on lape The program m memory is unallected.
and a luriher ' save can t>e made if necessary
Mioad/Msave enables a speed red block of memory to be
Saved VPTR can be used within a BASIC program to
eliminate many tedious POKES and PEEKS in hnding the
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CHAIN allows the second part of a BASIC program lobe
loaded and lacked onto the end of the first part
2 AID 1 0 is convenient to use. being loaded from tape,
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loading, running, editing and saving BASIC programs
wwmfiy Z98 $14.95
CRAMIC-81
16K
CMOS RAM
KEYBOARD
with metal case K71
A lull sized professional keyboard for the ZX81 Features
47 keys and a full-sized space bar Connects to the 2X8 1
with no soldering required, via ■ plug-in flexible connec¬
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metal case that holds both keyboard and ZXSi, Expan
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edge -conned or which extends from the rear of the
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■ American made * Keycap legends will NOT wear
out • keys with life rated at 20 MILLION cycles
Keyboard K70 $79.95
Metal case tor keyboard
and ZXSI E70 $25.00
Giaosrons
64K RAM
Expands the capacity of the T/S 1 000 or ZX81 to its
maximum User transparent. G64
Special $129.95
Z61 $19.95
♦ Allows you to LOAD and SAVE ZX81
programs up to 6 TIMES FASTER!
♦ Easy-to-use in your own programs
♦ User-transparent when incorporated into
programs.
♦ Verifies proper loading.
♦ Catalogue feature lists program names and
memory usage
♦ LOADER occupies less than 500 bytes (YzK) of
RAM
♦ Consists of 2 separate programs —
KEYBOARD MONITOR and FAST LOADER.
♦ Supplied on cassette with extensive
documentation.
TINY LOGO *
Teach your children programming skills through a
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Logo) $19.95
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ZX81/TS1000
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LECTROniOS
Buffalo N.Y. 14217 Checks or money orders. No CODs. Add shipping
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER
Have tun withZXBL
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TS1000-ZX81 OWNERS
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KRAKIT™ consists of 1 2 clues on a ready- to-run ZX81
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each clue is the name at a country, a city or lown. and
a number. If you are the first qualified entrant to solve
alt 12 clues and declared the winner, you receive two
tickets to the city of the secret KRAK1T™ vaUlt |Dca,
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minimum amount of $20,000 00 (U S.) will be presented
to you. The amount of the prize money is augmented
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Packl
Coniains 2 tapes with an instruction/applications
manual with the following programs;
BREAK EVEN ANALYSIS; Enter expense items by
name Enter revenue items by name. Enter fixed costs
and variable costs Calculate break even point and
plot expense and revenue curves. Backward calcula¬
tion by setting breakeven point quantity, expense or
revenue.
CASH FLOW ANALYSIS; Enter income and expense
Hems Caicuiate net income. Calculate discounted
cash flow — PV and NPV Plot NPV for various in*
terest rales
PAYBACK ANALYSIS: Enter expense and revenue
items. Calculate years to payback.
tNTERNAL RATE OF RETURN; Enter expense and
revenue Hems. Display net cash flow. Calculate IRR
DEPRECIATION ANALYSIS: Enter depreciable
amount. Select depreciation method and enter
parameters. Calculate depreciation by any currently
allowed method.
Z49 $29.95
Path U
PROJECT SCHEDULER: Record project est.
hours, hours to date, remaining hours. Record
billing rate, employees involved. Display amount
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PROPOSAL SHEET: Record work items and
hours. Record hourly billing rates. Display over¬
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TIMEX SINCLAIR USER
DAMES
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Now choose
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ZX CHESS
Full graphic display of chess board. Six levels of play,
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Clear entire board with one command; for end game
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The strongest chess game available on ZX£i ZXCHES5
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Excellent, striking graphics,
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Z72S14.95
ZXB1 if requested
IK ZX CHESS
A good introduction to chess lor IK ZXfliH'StOOO
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Single level of play Does not accept castling or en-
passant moves 2B7 $9,95
2K Chess H7S 1000)
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It s also a constant battle
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blast with your laser ZBG $9.95
GALAXY
INVAD
Z91 $14.95
An excellent version of the
classic space game. Protect
your seven lives against
fleets of hostile invaders,
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I
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GLaOSTOnE-fELECTROniCS
In N.Y. Call (716) 874-5510 Toll Free (800) 833-8400
r — “ ~ — — —
CHARGE TO:
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| Datr?
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riease rusn me
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| NAMF _ _ _ _ _ _
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■ To: Gladstone Electronics, 1585 Kenmore Ave., Buffalo N.Y, 14217
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Call or writs for free TS1000 $ ZX81 catalog
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Computers as teachers:
do they work?
Computers are in our schools now,
and students are using them every
day. Are they dehumanizing? Do they
teach anything? Will teachers reject
them? Charles Durang, science and
computer editor for Reston
Publishing, explores some old
computer myths
CAN you remember, not too
long ago, when no one
thought computers would
get into the education business
within our lifetimes? We heard
most of the following:
“We won't use computers in our
schools because they are too expen¬
sive.”
“Computer-aided instruction is
dehumanizing — it’s mass-
production, lockstep, standardized
education.”
“The computer can be a very
useful tool, but the teachers and ad¬
ministrators are too conservative.
They may also be afraid of being
replaced by the machines. It will be
a long time before computers are
accepted in the schools.”
“IPs another form of program¬
med instruction, and look what a
bust that was,”
Well, it's time to take another
look: each of those statements bears
a little examination in the light of
what's been going on during the
last year or two.
Prices of all computers have been
dropping rapidly, and with the ad¬
vent of the under-$100
Timex/Sinclair 1000 [nee Sinclair
ZX81], there is no school district —
and few families — too poor to
jump on the computer bandwagon.
One company is producing a
22
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
BdteCcChotL*
L
package including computers,
monitors, cassette storage units,
software and perhaps printers — at
“Computers are too
expensive”
a price for ten systems that com¬
pares to the price of one Apple-
based system !
Today, the computer is proving,
when employed for simple drill-
and-practice exercises, to be more
individualized, more self-paced,
more forgiving and less judgmental
than any teacher and classroom en¬
vironment can be. Computer-aided
curricula are able to be more truly
“competency-based” than anything
that has gone before.
For inductive kinds of learning
(although this kind of thing is clear¬
ly in its infancy as far as currently-
available software goes), a com¬
puter program can support and
manipulate a large data base for
student exploration and discovery
of facts and relationships — at the
student’s pace, at the student’s
direction, using the student’s
“Computer-aided
instruction is lockstep
education”
methods. We can learn how to
learn even as we learn facts!
The misconception that lay
beneath a lot of the anti-computer
rhetoric was this: on the one hand
you have a teacher, a living, feeling
human being who will be sensitive
to all the students in class and ad¬
just the environment to help them;
on the other hand is the machine,
inflexibly programmed to proceed
at its own pace.
The reality is that the teacher
cannot address every student’s
needs simultaneously — in fact, the
classroom environment mandates
lockstep methods — while behind
the computer is another thinking,
feeling human being who wrote the
program the student is using. The
student is not learning from the
computer, but from the program —
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1 983
ultimately, from the teacher who
created the program. By repeating
tirelessly at the student’s option,
moving ahead rapidly in response
to student progress, and trying
alternative approaches to the same
concept when indicated, the com¬
puter provides the true self-paced
and individualized environment.
And the uncertain student will find
his confidence growing in response
to the program’s encouragement,
rather than shrinking because of
classmates’ derision or a teacher’s
ill-concealed dismay.
Teachers are rapidly overcoming
their legendary (and, it appears,
“The educators are too
conservative”
largely fictitious) “computer anxie¬
ty” and recognizing the potential of
this new medium. They are actively
seeking to put the machines in the
classroom; principals and
superin tendants are putting them
in the budget.
A recent survey by Market Data
Retrieval shows that 24,642 school
districts in the U,S, now use com¬
puters for instructional purposes,
including 10,499 of the nation’s
52,000 elementary schools (an in¬
crease, at the elementary level, of
80 per cent over last year).
There is the recognition, on the
part of parents as well as teachers,
that today’s students will have to
understand and be able to deal with
computers to survive in tomorrow’s
world.
There is also — though it is a
secondary consideration — the fact
that the computer’s basic data pro¬
cessing capability for record¬
keeping makes it easy to administer
each student’s program in a way
tailored to the individual.
Most important, of course, is the
fact that educators realize the
potential of all we said above, and
that the microcomputer as
“teacher’s aide” can provide both
“The computer is , . .
more forgiving and less
judgmental than any ■
teacher ...”
remedial and advanced self-study
— at ever-declining cost — to sup¬
plement the teacher’s own efforts.
“Programmed instruction
was a bust”
There is little doubt of the truth
of that statement, and there certain¬
ly is a relationship between pro¬
grammed and computer-
programmed instruction. There is
even the chance that computer-
aided learning will indeed suffer
the fate of its predecessor. But the
differences are encouraging:
1. The climate today is more
receptive to a new approach.
2. The computer is innately
more powerful, and more in¬
teresting to the students, as a tool.
3. The potential economic
rewards are such as to attract the
best people (educators as well as
programmers) to the software ef¬
fort.
There is a lot of educational soft¬
ware out there already, but much
more is needed. It is likely that, this
time, the good will drive out the
bad, rather than the other way
around.
Perhaps the most exciting facet
of the computer-assisted learning
movement is the extent to which
computers are being used at home
for education of all sorts, and for
every member of the family!
Parents are eagerly rushing to
purchase personal computers to
help their children learn at home —
Computer-aided learning
at home
either because there are computers
in the local schools, or because
there are not! The resulting
pressure from the home front is
likely not only to speed the in¬
troduction of computers into
schools, but also to improve the
quality of education in general.
Such programs as Reston’s Self-
Teaching Software for the ZX81-
TS100Q: Mathematics I-VI are like¬
ly to be found much more exten¬
sively in homes initially, and find
23
TS1000-ZX81 OWNERS
WIN $20,000
ENTER THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE
SOLVE 12 CLUES LIKE THIS!
Where it ait began Where the torch was first fit
Where muscfes and sinews strain, Where our heros
win acclaim. Where the symbols hold the key.
KRAKIT ” consists ol 12 clues on a ready to-run ZXSi or TSiGOO
cassette tape (t&k RAM) The answer to each clue is the name ot a
country, a City Of town, and a number. If you are the first qualified
entrant to solve aH 12 clues and declared the winner, you receive two
tickets to the City Of the secret KRAKIT" vault location. When you arrive
at that location, a check tor a minimum amount of $20,000.00 |U.S .) will
be presented to you. The amount of the prize money is augmented weekly.
TS1000-ZX81
For more information, circle 17 on reader service card.
Mail to:
INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING A SOFTWARE INC.
P.O. BOX 1054, BUFFALO. N,Y, 14216
Please print:
Please send
_ copies of KRAKIT "
at $19.95 pkJS $1.50 shipping.
Total
enclosed is EH check
EH money order
Name
Charge to
EH Visa EH Mastercard
Address
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Signature . ...
Zip
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Allow 2 weeks for personal checks.
TIMEX^lN?LX!^Tj5yR june W
SdltCcrflOtL,
their way into the schools
somewhat more gradually.
Also, because learning is not just
for kids, many adults without
children are buying home com¬
puters specifically to learn new
skills or topics. People who cannot
afford the time or money to take
courses, or who are embarrassed
for one reason or another about be¬
ing seen in a class, are embarking
on their own programs of in¬
dividualized learning.
You can certainly anticipate the
first suggestion from this corner: go
get a computer if you don’t have
-one! The Timex/Sinclair 1000 is a
good starting place. While it is not a
competitor to Atari for games, or to
IBM for business applications, it is
a superb learning tool — and a
sophisticated machine that the pro¬
grammer will not outgrow as he
progresses from novice to expert.
Second, be conscious of the com¬
puter as an educational aid at
home. Look for appropriate soft¬
ware for learning, not only for the
children but also for the adults in
the family. Remember this: your
home computer is not only good for
learning about various topics . , .
and not only for learning about
computers because they will be all
around us for the foreseeable future
. . - but also for learning about
thinking and problem solving.
Someone has said, and many
have repeated it, that the computer
will always do exactly what you tell
it to do, which is not necessarily the
What can I do now?
same as what you want it to do.
Learning to program a computer,
even at a very rudimentary level,
teaches clear thinking and
problem-solving analysis in a way
that the freshman Logic course
always aspired to do.
Don't worry if, when you bring
home your computer, your children
only want to “play games/' First,
they will learn from the games. Se¬
cond, they will next want to make
up their own games — they will
learn to program. And, perhaps
later rather than sooner, but almost
inevitably, they will put that pro¬
gramming knowledge to work in
other areas.
Educators, students, parents,
learners: you cannot go wrong by
owning a computer today. You may
not learn what you thought you
were going to learn. But learn you
will!
How educational are the
‘educational” programs?
we looked at five different educa¬
tional programs available for the
T/S IOOO,ZX81.
MINDWARE'S Multiple Choice
program begins with clear screen
information and instructions, and
guides the student very well
through each stage. Basically, this
program is a set of questions rang¬
ing from, "What is the capital of
New York state?" to "What is the
square root of 2?”
What the test does, it does okay.
It does not meet our simple re¬
quirements, though, to really
classify as an educational program.
It does not hone in on specific lear¬
ning objectives. It does not teach
anything. It does give a general in¬
formation test.
The more important part of this
program is its ability to let you (stu¬
dent, parent, or teacher) create
your own test. You put the pro¬
blems and answers into the pro¬
gram. Multiple Choice leads you
clearly and easily through that pro¬
cess. In this mode, the program ac¬
cepts questions and answers of up
to 32 characters each. After you
have created your test, you can save
it for later use. Thus you (teacher,
student or parent) can create a file
of tests on different subjects and of
varying difficulty.
Another program that lets you
create, save and re-use your own
tests is called Flashcard. A
flashcard is a device used in many
classrooms. It has a problem or
question on one side and a solution
or answer on the other. On the
T/S1000.ZX81 version, you put pro¬
blems on as many as 100 cards, and
answers which are then mixed by
Joseph Gladstone
Former educator
evaluates some
teaching software
KIDS DO LEARN from using
computer games. This does
not make those games educa¬
tional programs. To be educational,
a program must teach something
that somebody planned to teach. In
the jargon of the schools, that is
called a learning objective.
Further, to be educational, a pro¬
gram must show somehow that the
kid has learned that objective. In a
game, that's easy. You can see how
well the player does . . . how many
aliens were stopped or how many
dots, dashes or stars eaten.
Games also have, built-in, the
thing teachers call “motivation.”
That is, kids want to do it.
Putting these elements together,
we see that an educational program
should have a specific goal, should
motivate the child to do the work
well, and have a testing system
built into it. With all this in mind,
25
TIMEX 1000 COMPUTER
* OWNERS *
IF YOU OWN A 16K RAM MODULE
THEN YOU NEED A “CRASH GUARD”
TO HELP SOLVE YOUR WOBBLE AND
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10 DAY TRIAL PERIOD
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED"
For more information, circle 10 on reader service card.
I . Peel of the touch sensitive key pad.
1 Plug in Klik* Keyboard {no soldering) and place in position.
3. Apply self adhesive two-colour legends to the keys.
This full 40 key keyboard has a positive dick feel as the keys are
depressed but as it replaces the original touch pad it becomes a
1 80a Bedford Road, Kemptton, Bedford MK42 8BL ENGLAND
For more information, circle 1 1 on reader service card.
✓
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED OR YOUR MONEY BACK
TS-ART
TS ART helps you create graphics on the screen with
a pencil, an eraser, about 120 brushes, a video inverser
and a ‘flicker’ . You can easily move these tools in 6
directions or along lines or circles which are drawn,
erased, painted with a brush, video inversed or
"flickered'1. You can set a different background to any
quarter of the screen. You can define new graphic
commands — for example one that "does" a square.
Then by pressing only one key you can make any of the
tools do a square anywhere on the screen; so a square
can be drawn, erased, painted, and so on. And the
square can be rotated and it can be compressed or ex-
panded to any size. And it can be used as a building
block for other commands you define. And you can save
or print the artwork. And , , .
TS-ART is very easy to learn and use, so 4 year old
kids master its basic commands in minutes. Yet it is
powerful and sophisticated to satisfy the most creative
user.
TS-ART is fun; is a screen editor that can mix text with
graphics; is a smart educational device (ages 4 to 99)
that indirectly teaches {LOGO style) concepts in arith¬
metic, geometry and computer science by making ab¬
stract ideas visible and concrete
All this power (and more) for only $1 2.95 (add $1 .50 for
s & h in U.S. or $2.50 outside U,S+). 16K RAM.
Win $50 if we use your artwork in our ads,
KSOFT, 845 Wellner Rd., Naperville, IL 60540.
Nam« - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Address - - _ - - - - - - - - —
Qt y/St ate/Zip - - - - -
Chech VISA I w
Card Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ — - Exp -
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Phone Orders (312) 96M250
For more information, circle 12 on reader service card.
TIMEX 1000. O-fll [80)
□ 8 Port 10
Interfaces up to eight
one- byte ports
Accepts 16K RAM
10 $89
□ JIDDA
2-channels A/D. 2-0 /A
Computer sensing and
control ot ( analog )
electrical devices (0-SV)
adda sea
□ Beeper [Clock Switch |
Programmable frequency tone generator,
clock (milliseconds to years) . .
bcs m
Each board comes with educational docu¬
mentation, applications.
and applications programs _ - - — — .
(IK RAM). $5 handling VTIflCf Q
charge on all orders.
ORDER
TOLL FREE:
BOO- 227 1617
operator 641
(CA, 800-772-3545
operator 641)
Box 1140
2000 Center Street
Berkeley. CA 94704
developments
For more information, circle 13 on reader service card.
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
26
fJRattn<j tAe frfuca/icno/ f/bfAmtie
Graphic!
Ed.
Value
Fun to
Im
Work
Book
Help tn
School
W'ork
Program
Mo nay
Value
In«t ruc¬
tion!
Clrcla
Reader
Sarvlca
Card No.
ATOR, THE
ABC GATOR
(Timex)
S
9
8
No
9
9
Excellent
Good
52
COMPUTER
TUTOR
(Softsync)
8
6
8
No
6
7
Fair
Good
53
FLASHCARD
(International
Publishing)
7
7
6
No
7
7
Good
Good
54
MATH
SERIES
(Reston )
8
9
a
Yes
9
9
Excellent
Good
55
MULTIPLE
CHOICE
(Mindware)
7
7
8
No
7
7
Good
Good
56
the computer and presented to the
learner in one of two ways: ran¬
domly with repeats for a set
number of cards; or randomly with
no repeats, but using all the cards.
At the end of either test, your score
is presented.
Both Flashcard and Multiple
Choice let you put what you want
into a good drill, review or test of
that information. Neither one
teaches, but either could form the
basis of good trivia games.
Softsync has a series called Com¬
puter Tutor, We looked at two in
the series, Math Raiders and
Alpha/Vowel Tutor. I would have
felt better if the word “tutor" had
not been used; it is defined in the
dictionary as “teacher,” but these
programs do not teach. They do tell
you if you are right or wrong and
they do give you the right answers,
but is that really teaching? We don’t
think so!
In Math Raiders, the game con¬
cept has been well used to motivate
the child. The student uses his math
skills to ward off the landing of an
alien form. Each weapon (addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and
division) has two levels of difficul¬
ty. For fun, these programs rate
high. For educational content, they
rate low. They include too many
different types of problems with too
wide a skill range. They lack a
logical progression in problem
presentation.
Timex’s education program
A tor, the ABC Gator, is extremely
well done. It has eye-catching, high-
interest graphics, great pacing and
sound . , » that’s right, sound in a
T/S100Q,ZX81 program. You or the
child synchronize the tape through
a simple but very effective count¬
down. The child hears original
music and great instructions while
working the computer. This com¬
bination of computer and tape
recorder produces a fine educa¬
tional package.
The one fly-in-the-ointment in
this package is the language used
on the screen. A child learning the
ABC s certainly cannot read the in¬
structions, A notice should be
printed on the instruction sheet
that an adult or a reader will be
needed to help the child use this
program effectively,
Reston Publishing is the first to
launch a full-fledged educational
math program for the
T/SlQ0G,ZX81, It breaks the math
lessons into six sets, one for each
grade from one to six. In each set
there are 32 separate lessons; each
introduces a problem, shows how
to solve it, then drills and tests the
student. They are total lessons bas¬
ed on sound classroom techniques.
More important, there is a
workbook for each set. After the
student does a computer lesson, he
or she completes a pencil and paper
test of the skill in the workbook.
The main drawback to the Reston
program is the price. Each set (two
cassette tapes, 32 lessons, a 64-page
workbook and a vinyl binder
storage case) costs $29,95.
ALL IN ALL, we were really disap¬
pointed with the programs that pur¬
port to be educational. For the
T/SlOQG,ZX81 we recommend only
the Timex and Reston materials.
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
27
Check our handy chess guide
VWVW/WWWWWWWWWWWWVWWWWWWVWVWWWWWVWWWWWWWWWWWWVWWl
In a stalemate over which chess
program to buy? Check here before
you make your move and you won’t
get rooked!
: You H notice 4^hcmA that
Timefiare alone of lie j£Kgames
forbids you to resign and that Super-
■ chess alone plays against itself drcouyh£\
‘(bame Analysis * by the wayy allows you *
to set up the board for specific prob - '
lens icahemdc Excuse me, m a
little hoarse Achofeik It's all
these cold knights.,. ^
PLAYING FEATURES
TO HELP you bring order to the
wide array of software
available For the
T/SlOOQ.ZXai, our writers will look
at specific types of programs in
each issue. This month we look at
six different chess games.
We set up an office tournament
which pitted machine against
machine, software program against
software program, and people
against them all. We found that
each of these games is a worthwhile
purchase; and that, frankly, our
game has to improve a bit before we
dare rechallenge any of the 16K
games. All six use standard
algebraic chess notation, but it
doesn’t matter if you are unfamiliar
with this system: only the Timex
Sinclair program does not display
the notation. 0^0
recommends allows you
moves to resign
levels
of play
game
analysis
plays
itself
Castles
En passant
Time ware Chess
on levels
2 to 6
NO
6
YES
NO
YES
YES
Chessmaster
on levels
2 to 7
YES
7
YES
NO
YES
YES
Superchess
YES
YES
10
YES
YES
YES
YES
IK Chess
NO
NO
1
NO
NO
NO
NO
2K Chess
NO
NO
1
NO
YES
YES
YES
Timex Sinclair
Chess
NO
YES
6
YES
NO
YES
YES
28
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
GAME FEATURES
saves
a game
can change
sides
can change
levels
prints
game
screen
display
rating
memory
needed
Timeware
Chess
YES
YES
YES
YES
7
16 K
Chessmaster
YES
YES
YES
YES
8
16 K
Superchess
NO
YES
YES
YES
9
16 K
IK Chess
NO
NO
NO
NO
7
1 K
2K Chess
NO
NO
NO
NO
7
2 K
Timex
Sinclair Chess
NO
NO
NO
NO
6
16 K
you know
that TimeWare and Chess
r Master a How you to save un-\
finished games for later Jjhst
$uperthess always shows past,
mores, the others only upon t
Mrnt?m ‘Screen display'
t measures the clarity ana
'.usefulness of the displays. '
. , .^,}&ax*leofitoio?,
' How shout that f
‘Packaging** measure
the *u$tr~ friendlihMo «
each package on a scale
ofltolO too! Care to .
join me in a coup againstj
' theKing? >
OVERALL FEATURES
clarity enjoyability
play
speed of
response
i
instructions
of game
packaging
(average)
Timeware
Chess
7
9
9
8
Chessmaster
7
9
9
9
Superchess
9
9
7
8
IK Chess
7
6
9
8
2K Chess
7
8
9
8
Timex
Sinclair Chess
8
7
9
8
game
skill
W^WWWWMWMWW^^^VWVVVVVVWWVft
r TIMEX SINCLAIR USER RATING (1-10)
editor's circle reader
Timeware Chess
7
8
8
57
Chessmaster
9
9
9
58
Superchess
8
9
9
59
IK Chess
5
5
7
60
2K Chess
6
6
7
61
Timex Sinclair
Chess
8
8
7
62
’< You'll
notice that'
Che$sJfa$ter\
' gets the best \
rating and —
If hat are
\tho$e two up
[ there plotting,
against
Jme *
.now l,
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
-ttvu k proffr&w
r
m
£
Go with the flow and no
illogical jumps
IPO
DIM
EH
<10 0, 3 <1 )
300
IF
A*-
"1“ THEN
GOSUB
2 0 0
0
10 0
IF
At*
"2" THEN
GO SUB
300
c
500
IF
At*
" 3 " THEN
COSUB
ICO
0
60 0
IF
At-
"1" THEN
GOSUB
50 0
c
7C0
IF
At"
"5" JHLn
GOSUB
60 0
0
800
CLC
900
GOTO 2
00
100 0
CLS
10 20
PRINT
TAB 12, '
MENU
1 1
1030
PRINT
AT 5,7;" 1
SEARCH
I'
"2
DJ
SPLAY FILE " t
AT 9
y
AT
11,
7 * "1 SAV
E FIL
E-
II ir
CR
EAT E FILE
1035
PRI
NT
AT 18,5;"
ERIE
OP
-r
l
1 0 1 0
IMP
UT
A t
1 05 C
IF
At*
11 " THEN G
□TO 1
(J 1 0
106 0
RETURN
LE
;"3
" | AT
’■;ai 7,7;
LOAD I'lLE
13,7
“Jf *
t
I UN <1"5>
Listing 1
John Gilbert
continues
his course
Last month i explained how
to draw a flowchart of a pro¬
gram by splitting it into
parts. Each part corresponds to an
operation performed either by the
user or the computer program. This
month we take that a step further
and examine a way of breaking a
program code into easily-
understood areas.
There are three main operations
performed in a program — input,
processing by the computer, and
output. Each of those operations
has a distinct box in a flowchart
and each has a distinct part in a
program. If a beginner is to use the
program the input section will be
the longest, because of error-
trapping techniques and instruc¬
tions. The processing part of the
program will be the longest if a
technical person, such as a scientist
who knows about computers, uses
it.
Now to deal with methods of
prompting a user to enter informa¬
tion into the computer and the best
ways in which the computer can
handle that information. With pro¬
grams such as the database, which
is to be constructed in this series,
the screen display is very impor¬
tant. The computer uses the screen
to display information to a user.
Many people who use programs
such as database or word pro¬
cessors will know nothing about
how a computer works or what it
expects as input. The more infor¬
mation given to the user by a pro¬
gram the better. That does not
mean clogging the screen with vast
quantities of text. Instructions on
the screen should be easy to read
and well-spaced. The clear screen
command should be used as often
30
as possible to break-down informa¬
tion into easily-read pieces but at
the same time the jump between
one screen of instructions and
another should be almost
transparent to the user.
The text must flow naturally and
there should be no illogical jumps
in the instructions. That is a matter
of experience but the database has
been designed with clarity of in¬
structions and prompts for inputs
in mind.
The most important instructions
should stand out from the rest. That
can be done by liberal use of the
GRAPHICS mode.
Listing one is the menu
subroutine for the database. One
thing people tend to forget is that
they have the use of all the screen.
Do not cram things into the corners
or sides of a screen. Titles should
be central and if there is only an IN¬
PUT prompt on the screen, a good
place to put it is the top left-hand
corner.
Listing one is the first module of
the program. If there is a menu in a
program it should be situated at the
top of the code after any single or
array variables have been declared,
as in line 100 of listing one.
The menu module will display
Listing 2
10 0 0 REM LOnlJ ROUTINE
1C 10 CL3
1015 PRINT AT 0 , 0 J "NAME FILE TO BE ENTERED "
inio INPUT Ct
1030 IF Ct = " " THEN GOTO 'Hi 10
1010 PAUSE 10
1012 CLS
1015 PRINT AT 0, 0*" SET UP TAPE AND PRESS ENTER"
1050 PAUSE 10000
10 AC LOAD Ct
1070 PRINT AT 0,0* ‘'FILE LOADED
10SC PAUSE 100
1090 RETURN
the options available from the pro¬
gram; ask which you require, put
the number of the option selected
in a string variable A$, and transfer
to the control program, also in
listing one, at the top of the code.
The control program, consisting of
a series of IF . . . THEN instruc¬
.Isting 3
soon
REM S
AVE
RCU
sort
CLS
5010
PRINT
AT
0,0
5(512
INPUT
5 CIS
IF C*
if it
THE'i
5030
PAUSE
10
SO 22
CLS
5035
PRINT
AT
0,0
5 03?
PAUSE
TOO
00
50-90
PRINT
.. f
ILE
5050
SAUE
Cl
50,5(5
PRINT
.. F
ILL
5(570
PAUSE
100
5080
CLS
5090
RETURi
N
tions, will then transfer to the
subroutine selected from the menu.
The two other modules which
are listed in this article are for
LOADing data files — listing two —
and SAVEing files — listing three.
The displays in both the SAVE
and LOAD routines are important.
Error messages should be displayed
in the same position on the screen
every time they appear. Every pro¬
gram should have a standard error
message area to which the user will
become accustomed. In the case of
the database, that is in the middle
of the screen.
The prompts and information in
the SAVE and LOAD routines may
seem simple and not worthwhile
but the writer knows about the in¬
ternal workings of the program and
what to enter. A newcomer to a
program, on the other hand, needs
to be taken through it step by step.
When a module of a program has
been written it is a good idea to test
it on a friend or relative who knows
nothing about computers. If they
can follow the prompts, leave the
display as it is; if they are confused,
you know you have more writing.
I have now shown how the
database is controlled using the
menu and how to ease a user’s task
in getting through the program.
e/'e
WANT TO BUILD
YOUR LITTLE
TIMEX/SINCLAIR
INTO A REAL COMPUTER?
Try our plug-together systems.
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Dealer Inquiries Invited.
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SincCadt ^Cace
P.O. Box 2288A • Redmond, WA 98052
THE TOMB OF
DRACULA!
HORROR ADVENTURE GAME!
forthe16K TS1000/ZX81
OR 48K TS2000/SPECTRUM
A superb 3D graphics adventure game! Enter Dracula'stomb at
30 minutes to sunset . wander through the tomb's pre-
mapped 300 vaults in search of the fabled Vampire' s Treasure
P*4* yP valuable silver stakes and use them to defend
yourself against the lurking horrors . . . ghouls, zombies, pits of
primaeval slime , See them all on the computer's plan of the
tomb , . + when it will let you! Take a chance on a Mystery Vault
... if you dare! And all the time the minutes are ticking by to
sur,set . wh*n Dracula rises from his coffin and comes after
you! Each of the infinite levels of the tomb has its own 300 vaults
... go as deep as you like, the Pnnce of Darkness will seek you
out in his blood-lust! WARNING: people of an exceptionally
nervous disposition should play this game only during the
hours of daylight! Special facility lets you save a game in
progress onto tape so you can continue it whenever you
choose.
For TS1 000/2X81 with 16K RAM . $14.95
For TS2000/S PECTRUM with 48K RAM . $14.95
Price includes ready-to-load cassette with library case and inlay,
full instructions. AIRMAIL postage and packing. Order today r
Money refunded if not delighted!
Send cash or cheque to:
FELIX SOFTWARE (DEPT. SSU1)
19 Leighton Avenue, Pinner, HAS 3BW, England.
For more information, cireJe 14 on Reader Service Card.
For more information, cfrde IS on Reader Service Cord. 31
ZEBRA JOYSTICK ADAPTOR
Allows you to connect any Atari compatible joystick to your ZX81 or TS1 000.
6 DIRECTION
+ FIRE
CONTROL
EXPANSION
CONNECTOR FOR
YOUR MEMORY,
PRINTER, ETC.
SIMPLY
PLUG IT
IN.
6 JOYSTICK GAMES $9.95
ATARI JOYSTICK $6.50
ADAPTOR $19.95
The ZEBRA Joystick Adaptor comes
assembled and tested with simple
instructions to make joystick
versions of most action games.
Use your own Atari compatible
joystick or add $6.50 fora
genuine Atari Joystick.
15 DAY MONEY BACK
GUARANTEE
ONLY
$19.95
WITHOUT SPEAKER
$24.95
WITH SPEAKER
* Add amazing sound effects to your games
■ Easy to program in BASIC
* Wide frequency range
* Assembled and tested with Demo software
AMAZING
SOUND EFFECTS
BLIPPO
EXPANSION
CONNECTOR
ZEBRA LIGHT PEN
• Fun to experiment in BASIC
• Complete package includes:
-Light Pen
-Computer Interface Module
-Demo Program Listings
• Assembled & Tested
ORDER C109 $24.95
SUPERGAMES
3D
MONSTER
MAZE
Cl 13
$14.95
GOBBLE
MAN
Cl 14
S14.95
€102 BYTlNG DEEPER INTO TOUFt TSI00Q Si? 95
€103 NOT JUST 30 PROGRAMS FDR THE ZX81 5 9 0S
€104 COMPLETE T/S BASIC COURSE S34 SO
Hardwire Manual
DOS UNDERSTANDING TOUR ZX81 ROM $14 95
CIOS MACHINE LANGUAGE MADE SIMPLE $14 95
€107 THE INS A OUTS OF THE TS 1 000 A ZX0 1 $14 95
PROTOTYPING?
EXPERIMENTING?
cm
UNIVERSAL
PATTERN FOR
1C S. CAPS
ETC.
Cl 1 2
mO Y BACK
RAM OR OTHER
PERIPHERALS
C110
ALL SIGNALS
► | LABELED
C110 Keyed & Labeled ZX Connector $5.95
C111 Universal Prototyping Board $9,95
Cl 12 Expansion Connector . . $2,50
IMPORTANT! All ZEBRA products
can be piggybacked in any order.
Your memory, printer, etc. will plug
into Ihe Iasi one.
IS DAY MONEY BACK
GUARANTEE ON ALL
ZEBRA HARDWARE.
Tech Info & NY State call
(212) 296-2385 9-5 EST
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32
ZEBRA SYSTEMS, INC
78 05 Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven, New York 11421
DBpt‘ A more in/ormalion, circle IB on reader service cord.
add si, M PER ORDER
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TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
THERE is an over-abundance
of Space Invaders games,
but this one is worth a try
because it fits into IK of memory,
A fleet of 20 "X” ships is attack-
ing you. You must destroy at least
15 of them or be destroyed.
The cursor arrows move you up
and down (the shift 5 and shift 7
keys) and the 8 fires your laser can¬
non, You begin with 200 fuel units
and use one every time you move or
fire. If you manage to destroy all
the “X” ships, the amount of fuel
remaining is displayed.
10 let a- o
rc let j^zgo
30 LET K-lfl
TO LET G-0
50 LET X-IWF IftNUslO) * 2
60 LET A=A + l
70 If A~21 THEN CPTO 260
B0 LET Y^30
90 PRINT AT K,0;CHf<* 130JCHR* 12&JAT X,n'*X"
100 ir J < 0 THEN GOTO 150
110 IF- INKLVf^V" THEN LLT K-K-l
iza IF INKEY* THEN LEI K-K+ 1
130 IF INKEY THEN PRINT AT K# 2 J “** ^ tufim11
1^10 IF INKEY*>rtS" THEN LEI i
150 LET Y“Y- 1 ,5
160 IF Y "3 THEN LET G^G + 1
170 ir G^5 THEN GO W 2AQ
101) JE Y=3 THEN GOTO 5(1
1?H IF INKEY *=■ "8" AND K«X AND Y <2 1 THEN GOTO 220
200 CLS
210 GOTO 90
220 PRINT AT X, Y-n \ GHR* 1&9
230 GOTO 50
2A(J PRINT ** DESTROYED'*
250 STOP
260 PRINT '‘YOU WIN"
270 PRINT "FUEL LEm"fJ
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June I9S3
33
Sixteen pins appear at the top
of the screen for Bowling
and the ball at the bottom.
Use keys 5 and 8 to line up the two
and press key 0 to bowl. The ball
will be deflected by impact with the
pins and thus make your task more
difficult. For every pin hit you will
add one to your score; the score is
printed after eight balls and the
game ends (IK )•
1
LET Q -CODE. 11 H
IF F > CGDL "(graphic EVl THEN GOTO CODE "(inverse )"
2
LET S*Q
45
IF INHFYV-"G” THEN G0SU6 CODE ’*W"
3
LET
5(1
GOTO CODE ,iJ'*
4
LEI M=CGDE "{urapitic
1 )"
611
PRINT AT YfrX+H}
5
FOR TO CODE, “(griping 4>M
65
IF PECK ( PEEK 16390 + VAL "256" * PEEK 16399) * CODE
6
FOR A^H+C TO CODE M (graphic E
)"-L
"T** THEN LET G*Ci+h
7
PRINT AT B* A ' "T"
711
PRINT AT Y,X+NJ *'0**JAT YfX-Mli "(inverse Oj,,#AJ Y*X+rtJ
13
NEXT A
11 ”
9
LET c-c m
75
LET Y-Y-N
in
NEXT B
GO
IF Y-h ti THEM LEI 1 -1 + H
u
LET X-CQDL “Cftraphit;
7 > "
90
IF O : G AND RND DAL "*5" THEN LLI X-X-fl
20
LET r=M
<?5
IF O > S AND RND VAL ",i" THEN LET X*X+h
25
LET Y-CODE ,4?"
100
LET S O
30
LET X=X + lIMKEY*^rtaM
AND X
LUDt " (graphic 1
l",! 110
IF Y=N-rt THEN RET OPM
- i INKEY4 ”"5" AND X
CODE ‘,H<
}
120
GOTO CODE "W"
35
PRINT AT Y,XJ “ 0 *'
150
PRINT O
34
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
Eleven-yeah-old Keith
Goode of Arlington, Texas, cer¬
tainly gives you your money's
worth with this program. In the
menu, Use It presents you with,
you can choose one of seven op¬
tions. The first turns your computer
into a drawing board. Option two
draws sine wave curves. Three,
four, five and six convert your
keyboard into a mini-calculator*
And finally, just for fun, if you
choose option 7, Keith has your
computer show you its entire
character set* Thanks, Keith * for
showing us what you can make
your machine do, (T/SlOOO,ZX81
16K)
io
20
30
40
50
6 0
70
SO
90
100
110
170
130
140
150
160
170
ItJtf
190
20 0
210
220
230
210
250
PRINT " USC IT"
PRINT "BY KEITH CODDC"
PAUSE 200
CLS
PRINT "MENU I "
PRINT
PRINT "1 > PLOTTER"
PRINT "2 SINE HAVE"
PRINT "3 AIJO"
PRINT "4 SUP T RAC J "
PRINT "5 MULTIPLY"
PRINT "6 > DIVIDE"
PRINT "7 CHARACTER LIST INC"
PRINT "a BULLETIN
guard
PRINT "9 NU1T"
I NT' LJ r A*
IF
A*: 'L" U1EN
Ml TQ
1000
IF
A*^"2" THEN
GOTO
200 0
IF
At" 3 11 THEN
UU 1 □
□ 000
IF
At- "4" THEN
GOTO
4 00 0
IF
At "5" THEN
GOTO
DO 0 0
IF
At-" 6“ THEN
GUI Q
6000
IF
At*"7" THEN
GOTO
/ 0 0 0
IE
At- "8" THEN
GOT U
B0 0 0
IP'
At "9" THEN
GOTO
900 0
605 CLS
1000 CLS
1010 INPUT A
1020 INPUT U
1030 PLOT A*L
10 40 GOTO UJUk
20 (JO CLE
2010 PUR Z=0 IQ *3
2020 PLOT 2,22 +20* SIN (I/32*PI)
7030 NEXT Z
2010 PAUSE 150
2050 CLS
ZIjoO GuTO DU
30 OC CLS
3010 iNf U f C
3020 INPU1 U
3030 PRINT C» fj
3040 PAUSE 200
□050 CLS
3060 dim DU
4 Ml 0 CLS
4010 INPUT L
4020 INPUT [
4030 PRINT t I
4040 PRINT L [
4L50
CLS
1060
GUT D DO
50 00
CLS
5010
INPUT G
5020
INPUT IL
5030
PRINT G*H
5040
PAUSE 200
DODO
CLS
DO 60
GOTO Do
6 LMT 0
CLS
6UUI
INPUT I
602 0
INF LIT J
60 30
PRINT l/J
6 (HU
PAUSE 200
60D0
CLS
6060
GOTO DU
7U0 0
CLS
70 10
FOR X-t* TO
70 20
PRINT CHRP
7030
NEXT X
7040
CLS
70DO
GOTO 50
B0 0 0
CLS
coin
INPUT Mt
UU20
PRINT ili
D030
GOTO SO Hi
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER /une 1983
35
KNIGHT’S MOVE uses the
movement pattern of the
knight in chess to try to cover
every space in a square* The pro*
gram asks where you wish to start
on the board, giving the vertical co¬
ordinate first, and then marks the
moves as you make your way round
the board
There is a check routine to make
sure you cannot cheat by making
an incorrect move or land more
than once on the same square.
When no more squares can be
visited, enter 0 as the number for
the next square.
Press ENTER to replay the game
or any other key and ENTER to end
the game*
The graphics in line 20 are the
capital I reversed with two revers¬
ed dashes (shifted) between each*
In line 30 the dashes are replaced
by reversed spaces. (T/S10QQ,ZX81
16K)
1 REM KNIGHT'S HQUE
ID DIM 8(8,8)
2D tET I— I—I— I— I— I— -IM
3D LEI 8$*«I— J— I— I— I— I— I— I— 1“
-*10 CLS
30 EAST
60 PRINT TAR 61" X 2 3 * 3 6 7 8"
70 PRINT TAP 5; A*
SO FOR L=*l TO U
90 print tab 3;l;°‘ °;b*;tab 3;a*
inn next l
110 TOR L-l TQ 8
120 FOR C = 1 TO 8
130 lit e<un-o
HO NEXT C
150 NEXT L
160 LET M30
170 SLOW
180 PRINT AT 20, QJ "WHERE DO YOU WISH TO BEGIN"
190 INPUT Ci
200 G05 UD 4 1U
210 IF L-9 THEN GOTO 18U
220 LET M-H+ 1
23 Cl PRINT AT L*2tC»3+3iH
2*0 IF M < ID THEN PRINT AT L*2 ,0*3+41*' 11
250 LET Ll = L
260 LET Cl-C
270 LET B<L,C>-=1
28 0 IF M < 6* THEN GOTO 310
290 PRINT AT 20 t 0 J "CONGRATULATIONS"
300 GOTO *90
310 PRINT AT 19, 1);" 10 SPACES "
320 PRINT AT 2U,0; "WHERE Dtl YOU WISH TO GO NEXT0
330 INPUT Ci
3*0 IF Ci^Q" THEN GOTO *90
350 GPSUB *1(1
360 IF L-9 THEN GOTO 32U
370 IF L-L1'2 OR L-Ll+2 AND C-CJ-1 OR C-Cl+1 THEN GOTO 220
380 IF L=L|~1 OR L-Ll+1 AND OC1-2 OR C-Cl+2 THEN GOTO 220
390 PRINT AT 19,0} "IMPOSSIBLE"
*00 GOTO 320
*10 PINT AT 2Q,0rf 2Q SPACES
*20 IF LEIN Ci <> 2 THEN GOTO *70
*30 LET L-UAL CiM)
**0 LET C-UAL C$<2)
*50 IF L<l DR L>B OR C<1 OR 08 THEN GOTO *60
*52 IF 8 ( L f C ) = 1 THEN GOTO *60
*5* RETUF*N
*60 LET L-9
*70 PRINT AT 19,0; “IMPOSSIBLE"
*80 RETURN
*90 PRINT AT 21,0; "NL TO REPLAY ■■
500 INPUT C*
510 IF Ci""" THEN GOTO *0
36
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
—
YOU WILL probably recognize
Surround as soon as you RUN
it. It is a version of a fairly
standard routine in which you are
required to surround your adver¬
sary before he can surround you.
Both players are in continuous mo¬
tion and are not allowed to cross
their tracks or those of their oppo¬
nent, or to hit the boundary or the
score display.
What will surprise you is the way
in which the T/S1000,ZX81 can
recognize two keys when pressed
simultaneously. That is not possible
using INKEY$ and is achieved by
utilizing address 16421. This con¬
tains a number which changes as
groups of keys are pressed. Lines
185 to 260 translate the number in¬
to a series of possible moves.
Black uses keys 1-5 to move up,
Z-V to move down, Q-T for right
and A-G for left. Grey uses the keys
6-0 for up, Y-P for right, B-M for
down, and H-ENTER for left. After
a crash the other player scores one;
the winner is the first to reach 15,
The routine enabling two players
to participate can obviously be used
in many graphics games.
(T/S1000.ZX81 16K)
1 REtt SURKbUNE) BY J.MINCHI.STEB
5 LET SX=0
6 LET SB*C
7 LET 0-PECK 163?6+256*PEEK 16397
10 POKE IM 13 1 0
20 PRINT AT Ct0f"+ + tt (+++ + >+♦* h+K + + ++ +++ + +
30 TOR P=1 TO 22
10 PRINT "+ +m
sn NEXT p
^ I, PRINT I 11 + 4 + +4 + + t + +4 + + -t + 4* 4- + + -r 4- fr * + + + f + + + + '■
7t) PRINT AT 2 1 2 tCTPi SXJ AT 2 ,23; SIR# 5P
RH LET X^12
*0 LET Y"3
100 LET B^t2
110 LET 020
120 LET XI 0
130 LEI Yl = 1
1T0 LET 01*0
115 LET Cl— 1
lj0 If PEEK <0+14 Y + 33 * X) <> 0 THEN GOTO TOO
160 IF PEEP tO+l+C+33*B) O 0 THEN GOTO 30 0
170 PRINT AT X,Y;CHRf U30J JAT BfC;CHRiU34>
3RE> LET A-PEEE 16121
LET^Xl^j £*-222 DR A-1?0 OR A==251 OR A-1 126 THt
1<?(1 0R OR A-103 Oh A=U9 THt
2 00 IF XI O C TFfEN LET rl =0
210 IF A*235 OF< A=25l PR A^219 OR A= 1 £7
LET Y 1 m 1
715 IF A=237 OR A - 221 OR A -253 OR A- 109
LET Yl~-1
720 IT Y 1 0 THEN LEI Xl-0
730 IF A-231 Oh; A-239 OR A“23S UR A-237
LET Bl— 1
735 IF A-119 UR A-123 OR A-125 OP A-126
LET P4*l
700 IF' PI O THEN LET Cl'-tt
315 IF Oh: A-219 OR A* 2 23 OR A=22l
LET Ci*l
250 IF A - 103 OF* A L07 Ok A=1B9 OR A-191
i F T PI = 1
76P tr ci :: o them let bi o
770 LET X-X4X1
200 LET Y-r+f]
29 € IET £aE:+E 1
292 GOTO 150
300 LET I5X-GX4 1
3UI If SX < 15 THEN GOTO 7
320 STOP
100 LEI SB^lie+1
T10 IF SB 15 THEN GOTO 7
OR A-125 THIN
OR A"- 125 THEN
□R A-230 THEN
OR A=127 THEN
OR A-222 THEN
m A~19B THEN
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 3983
37
A GAME which links the bug-
baiting type of program with
a battle against alien in¬
vaders has been produced by
Sanath Yogasundrum*
When the game begins, the
player is asked for a skill level, A or
P, which stand for amateur or pro-
fessional. It is advisable to start on
the amateur level while the player
begins to understand this complex
game.
A small grid is shown in the bot¬
tom left-hand corner of the screen
in which there are four aliens,
shown as X and $, with a soldier (*).
The soldier has to dig a hole (O) and
then lure the aliens into it, scoring
100 points for every X and 200 for
every $.
The hole is dug by going into dig
mode, pressing 2, and pressing the
cursor key for which side of the
soldier you wish to place the hole.
The soldier can then be moved by
pressing 01 to return to movement
mode, and using the cursors in
their normal directions.
A soldier can be killed either by
falling into his own hole or being
eaten by an alien. The game lasts
for the lives of three soldiers,
although an extra soldier can be
gained by scoring more than 3,000*
Two other limitations are that
only one hole can be dug at a time
and a hole cannot be dug beneath
an alien. Once an alien has fallen
into a hole it is filled immediately
and the game continues.
Even after playing for more than
an hour at the amateur level, no-one
at Timex Sinclair User managed to
score more than 1,300*
(T/S1000.ZX81 16K)
38
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 2983
1 LET BEST = 0
2 PRINT "SKILL LEVEL? <A/P>"
3 INPUT At
5 CLS
10
LET SG=2
15
LET S=0
20
PRINT . HOLED UP" 11
>i
21
PRINT AT 14,15| "LEVEL * " J A*
22
PRINT AT 16, 10! "HIGH SCORE! " f BEST
23
PRINT AT 18,0!"
YOUR SCORE # " ! S
30
PRINT AT 20,0!"
SPARE MEN!"! SO
40
LET X-17
50
LET Y=Q
60
LET A=17
70
LET B=B
80
LET U=2l
90
LET V"=4
100
LET G“ 1
110
LET HX-15
120
LET HY=0
130
LET C*17
140
LET D"=4
150
LET E=I9
160
LET F=2
165
LET GG= 1 9
170
LET HM=6
195
PRINT AT U ,V;"*"
200
PRINT AT X, Y , " t"
210
PRINT AT A , B ! " * "
220
PRINT AT C,D;"X"
230
PRINT AT E , F i " X"
240
PRINT AT GG,HH!"X"
300
LET 0=141
305
LET M=X
310
LET N“Y
320
GOSUB 2000
322
LET FN345
325
GOTO 6000
335
LET X-M
340
LET Y^N
345
PRINT AT X* Y }
347
CDSUEi 24 3 0
350
LET ii^A
360
LET N=B
370
GOSUB 2000
375
LET W=4 1 0
380
GOTO 6000
400
LET B=N
405
LET A“H
410
PRINT AT A , B i " *"
415
GOSUB 2430
417
LET Q= 189
42 0
LET H“C
440
LET N=D
460
GOSUB 2000
47 0
LET H = 5 1 0
475
GOTO 6000
500
LET D’=N
505
LET C=H
510
PRINT AT C ,D , "X "
515
GOSUB 2430
520
LET H=E
54 0
LET N^F
560
GOSUB 2000
570
LET H=6 1 0
580
GOTO 6000
600
LET F=N
605
LET E=n
610
PRINT AT E,F!MX‘*
615
GOSUB 2430
620
LET H“GG
640
LET N=HH
660
GOSUB 2000
670
LET H-7 1 0
680
GOTO 6000
700
LET HH=N
705
LET GG=h
710
PRINT AT GG,HH!"X"
720
GOSUB 2430
770
GOTO 300
2B03
IF INKEYS*” 1 11 THEN
LET G=i
20 0 4
IF IN KEY *=="2" THEN
LET G=2
2005
LET ft=RND
2010
LET Z=RNC)
2020 PRINT AT rt,N!" 11
2090 IF H=18 OR M=2Q OR N^V AND A*^"P" AND
( N=0 OR N“2 OR N=4 OR N=6 OR N^8) THEN GOTO 212C
2100 IF R <= *5 OR M=U OR N=l OR N*3 OR N=5 OR N=7
THEN GOTO 2300
2120 IF M™2 1 OR U<H AND A*="P" THEN LET Z=.7
2122 IF M = 17 OR U>M AND A*=HPM THEN LET Z = *5
2125 IF Z <= ,5 THEN LET M=*H+l
2140 IF Z>,5 THEN LET h-M-1
2160 GOTO 2340
2300 IF N^0 OR N<V THEN LET Z^.5
2305 IF N=*B OR N>V THEN LET Z=,7
2310 IF I <* ,5 THEN LET N=N+i
2320 IF 2>*5 AND N>0 THEN LET N -N 1
234 0 IF M=U AND N=V THEN GOTO 7000
2400 IF INKEY$="2" THEN LET G=2
241(1 IF INKEY* 1" THEN LET G = 1
2420 RETURN
2430 IF INKEY * <> "5" AND INKEY $ <> "6" AND INKEY* <> "7"
AND INKEY $ <> "El" THEN RETURN
244 0 IF G“2 THEN GOTO 2590
2450 PRINT AT U,V;" "
2520 IF INKEY $-"5" AND V>0 AND (U^17 OR U=19 OR U=21)
THEN LET V=V“1
254 0 IF INKEYf z?i,8" AND V<8 AND (U = 17 OR U=19 OR U = 21) THEN
LET V=V+1
2560 IF INKEY**"6" AND U<21 AND (V=0 PR V=2 OR V-4 UR V=6
OR V=8> THEN LET U=U+1
2500 IF INKEY* ="7" AND IJ: 17 AND <V = Q UR V=*2 OR V = 4 PR U=6
OR V“8 ) THEN LET U=U- 1
25B5 GOTO 3005
2590 PRINT AT HX# MY J 11 11
2597 IF INKEY* = ,f5" AND V>0 AND (U»21 OR U=19 OR U-17J THEN
GOTO 2700
2600 IF INKEY* -"8 " AND V<8 AND (U=2L OR U-U9 OR U^17) THEN
GOTO 2750
262 0 IF INKEY* ="6" AND U<21 AND (V-0 OR V=2 OR V=4 OR V=6
OR V”B ) THEN GOTO 2800
2640 IF INKE Y*-"7" AND U>17 AND CV=Q OR V=2 UR V = 4 OR V=6
OR V“=0) THEN GOTO 2850
2660 GOTO 3005
2700 LET HX“U
2710 LET HY-V-1
2720 GOTO 3000
2750 LET HX”U
276!) LET HY-V+1
2770 GOTO 3000
280 0 LET HX-UU
2310 LET HY=V
2820 GOTO 3000
285 0 LET HX“:U 1
2860 LET HY“V
30 0 0 IF HX-X AND M Y - Y OR HX=A AND HY=B OR HX=C AND IIY = D OR
HX-=E AND HY=F OR HX“GG AND HY=HH THEN LET HX=15
3003 IF HX <> 15 THEN PRINT AT HX*HY;M0M
3020 IF HX=U AND HY=V OR U=X AND V = Y OR U = A AND V=B OR U^=C
AND V=D OR U*E AND V=l OR U=GG AND Vs Mil! THEN GOTO 70 0 0
3030 PRINT AT U,V!"*"
3040 RETURN
60 0 fl IF M=X AND N-Y OR M--A AND N-G UR M -G AND N=D OR H-E
AND NSF OR M“GG AND N =HH THEN GOTO W
6005 IF H-HX AND N=HY THEN GOTO 6020
6010 GOTO W-10
6020 IF 0=141 THEN LET S*S+100
6035 LET S=S+100
6040 PRINT AT n,NfCHR* G
60 44 IF S/30 0 0 " INT (S/30 00) UR
(S-10 0)/30 00=INT< (S-100 )/:i(IOin THEN LET SO=SQ>l
6045 PRINT AT 1B,21?S
6047 PRINT AT 20,21!SO
6050 LET HX=1 5
6060 GOTO W-10
7000 PRINT AT U*V!"*"
7010 LET SQ=S01
7030 PAUSE 100
7032 IF SO—1 THEN GOTO 8000
7035 CLS
7040 GOTO 20
8000 FOR N-:0 TO 21
8010 SCROLL
8020 NEXT N
0030 IF S>BEST THEN LET BEST*S
8040 PRINT AT 0,0; "CAME OVER , ALL YOUR MEN ARE DEAD"
B(!50 GOTO 2
39
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 19B3
THE FIRST question often ask¬
ed about a new machine is
"Does it play Space Invaders?"
Though a IK machine has con¬
siderable difficulty getting
anywhere Computer Combat using
only IK, is a type of mini Space In¬
vaders but with only one invader
and one base and a much slower
rate of firing.
The object of the game is to hit
the invader as many times as possi¬
ble before it lands or you run out of
missiles. Twenty-five missiles nor¬
mally are given but that can be
altered by changing the value of B
in line 5,
You receive five points for hit¬
ting it but lose one if you miss. Use
keys 5 and 8 to move left and right
respectively and key 0 to fire. The
invaders' missiles are shown as
asterisks and yours as crosses. The
program is good for beginners, as it
is easy to understand the function
of each line as there are none of the
usual POKE and PEEK or other
complicated functions.
If you want to get more memory,
enter in direct mode the following
be/ore entering the program: POKE
16389,68 followed by ENTER NEW
followed by ENTER,
The program will run con¬
tinuously until the BREAK key is
used.
Computer Combat was sent in by
15-year-old Anthony Wells,
(T/S1000,ZX81 16KJ
5
LET B-UAL "25"
10
LET S*PI--PI
15
LET M»F‘I--PI
20
LET X-UAL "16"
25
LET Y^PX-PI
30
LEI i1=M-»2
35
If M>UALL "20" THEN GOTO UAL "
10 0"
40
CLS
45
LET R-INT <EN3*5>
50
IF R=-3 THEN GQSUB 155
55
PRINT AT M,YJ " VW1 "
60
LET Y-Y + UAL. "2"
65
IF Y-UAL "30" THEN GOTO 25
70
PRINT AT 21 ,X;" * "
-r tr
/
LET X=X+( INKEY *="8" > *3 -(INKEY*
="5") *3
80
IF INKEYt=”0" THEN COSUB 115
IF B <= UAL "0" THEN GOTO UAL
"10 0"
95
GOTO UAL "40"
100
PRINT AT 12,101 "SCORE”" 1 S
1 05
PAUSE UAL "300"
110
RUN
115
PRINT AT
120
IF X+l <> Y THEN LET S»S-1
125
IF X-H=Y THEN PRINT AT M,X~11"
130
IF X+1-:Y THEN LET E-S+5
135
LET B=B-UAL "1"
140
RETURN
145
PAUSE UAL "50"
150
GOTO UAL "40"
155
PRINT AT 21 , Y i CHR* 23
160
IF X--Y THEN GQSUB UAL "170"
165
RETURN
170
PRINT AT 2 1,Y ;"<*>"
175
PAUSE UAL "40"
180
LET S“S“UAL "5"
185
RETURN
40
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
Join the
CLICK !
Enter your programs Faster & Easier
with the E-Z Keyboard . . .
At last, a large 60 key "Tactile Feel”
keyboard that plugs into the same
connectors as the existing keyboard
onyourZX81 oryourTimex-Sinclair
1000.
Hear the CLICK and feel a SNAP for every
key pressed! (Tactile Feedback).
Only
E-Z Key 60 has the following features:
- 60 Keys - Legends in 3 colors on the base
■ Molded legends on key tops
- 8 Automatic shift keys (no shifting required)
for edit, delite, single and double quotes, colon,
semi-colon, function and stop.
- 2 Shift keys - Numeric key pad - 5" space bar.
E-Z Key 60 requires no wiring (just plug it in)
and can be adapted to fit the XZ80 or the
MicroAce (8 KROM). The Mounting base
measures 10"x4". Cables and instructions are
included.
S8495
A custom made enclosure (shown above) is
also available for your computer and E-Z Key
60 keyboard.
Measurements: Price:
EC-11 11"x9"x3'' . $25.00
EC-14 14"x9"x3’' . . $30.00
WATCH FOR THESE NEW PRODUCTS!
JOYSTICK: Joystick kit that requires nowirinq
and will fuction like the arrow keys on your
computer
E-Z Key 40 Replacement flat keyboard with
erobosmg around each switch and 3 color legends
and graphics as existing keyboard (pluq in
replacement)* y
SWITCH SPECIFICATIONS:
Key tops measure A" x. .3" - spaced at
intervals between keys. Lite - 10
million operations, typical. Force * 3
02 Travel - 040r . Dameswilch. button
type wilh arm 1o give ,040” travel
90 day warranty
USE THIS ORDER FORM...
E-Z HEY
SUITE 75 A, 711 SOUTHERN ARTERY
QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS 02169
(617) 773-1187
E-Z Key 60
EC-1 1/14
m □ Check or
■ Money Order
Charge to my:
□ Visa □ Mastercard
■ Card #
Expires
■ Send to:
! E-Z KEY
■ Suite 75 A
■: 711 Southern Artery
Quincy, MA 02169
Quantity
Unit Price
*64 95
S25/S3Q
Total units 5AH $4 per unit
Mass, res add S% sales tax
Total
Toiei
Signature .
Name
. State __
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER /tine 1983
For more information, circle 9 on Reader Service Card.
41
F
-finis. £b'/>S \
Who says that graphics
All you need to
start is a simple
understanding
of the PLOT
command, says
professor
and author
Michael K. Barnett
in this exclusive
interview
Can you tell us some of the com¬
puters that you use /or computer
graphics?
These include some very large
IBM machines like 370s, 3033s and
3081s, some personal computers
like the Apple, and the Timex
Sinclair 1000 home computer.
Does it make sense to use a
TIS1000, ZX&l when you can use
these larger machines?
Yes — a lot of sense. The T/S1000
and the large IBM machines are at
opposite ends of what many people
see as a unified scheme — for
teaching and learning what com¬
puter graphics can be used to con¬
vey.
What are the limitations of
TISlOOO graphics and how do they
affect the fields where T/S graphics
will be used?
The limitations are the resolution
that it can provide on the television
screen, the amount of data that can
be stored for reference, and the
speed at which it calculates.
However, I don’t see these locking
the T/S 1000 out of particular fields
where graphics are useful; within
these fields, the Timex will be used
where low resolution is adequate,
perhaps as a preliminary to using
higher quality equipment.
Where do you think Timex
graphics will be used?
Education, business, research
and engineering, and entertain¬
ment, for a start.
How will it be used in education?
Initially, to teach programming
and computer literacy, to help
teach math, to teach people how to
use computer graphics in their
work; as time goes on, in chemistry
and other sciences, in social
sciences and in educational ad¬
ministration.
How can it be used to teach pro¬
gramming?
Many people are afraid of com¬
puters because they are afraid of
mathematics and formulas. And
most people do not have ready ac¬
cess to a computer, or the money to
spend on a terminal and phone
bills. You can buy a T/S 1000 for the
price of a couple of textbooks or a
home appliance, and work with it
in your own time and at your own
pace in the comfort and privacy of
your home. And the graphics let
you start using commands based on
the simple idea of using squared
paper that people see around the
house in patterns for knitting and
laying tiles and so on.
You mean someone can get
started just using the PLOT com¬
mand?
Sure. After PLOTting a few
points in the immediate mode to get
a feel for the numbering, you can
write simple programs with FOR
loops to draw straight lines and
42 TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
have to be complicated?
make them move. For example, just
type
10 FOR X « 10 TO 50
20 PLOT X.20
30 NEXT X
and you get a horizontal line about
halfway down the screen. Change
the numbers in the FOR statement,
keeping between 0 and 63, and this
changes the length of the line.
Change the Y value in the PLOT
statement from 20 to any other
value between 0 and 43 and you
change the height of the line. And
to get a vertical line, you put Y in
the FOR statement instead of X,
and you change the PLOT state¬
ment to PLOT 20, Y to draw the line
roughly halfway across the screen.
What about sloping lines?
Easy. Try
10 FOR N =0 TO 40
20 PLOT N,N
30 NEXT N
That slopes up from southwest to
northeast.
And to get it to slope up from
southeast to northwest?
Try
10 FOR N =0 TO 40
20 PLOT 63 - N,N
30 NEXT N
You can build lots of patterns using
these tactics. Here is a simple ex¬
ample.
How many lines of code did this
take?
This does it in 20 lines:
R /I «■ \ 1% I
i .• i jrm i % i
L" L'UIIM M
L k IX XI J J
i% I'jin'i .*i
i % i -r-T i / i
I M k L* 1 I
I T" ’ " I f
I V d* I
T/S1000 graphics
can be used
anywhere low
resolution is
adequate
10 FOR K = 1 TO 4
20 FOR X = 32 - 2**K TO 32 + 2**K
30 PLOT X,21-2**K
40 PLOT X,21 + 2**K
50 NEXT K
60 FOR Y = 22-2**K TO 20 + 2**K
70 PLOT 32 - 2**K,Y
80 PLOT 32 + 2**K,Y
90 NEXT Y
100 FOR X = 33-2**K TO 31
110 PLOT X,X- 11 + 2**K
120 PLOT X,53-X-2**K
130 NEXT X
140 FOR X = 33 TO 32 + 2**K
150 PLOT X,53-X + 2**K
160 PLOT X.X- 11 - 2**K
170 NEXT X
180 NEXT K
190 POKE 16417,1
200 COPY
Perhaps your readers can shorten
this or speed it up, for example by
calculating 2**K just once in each
cycle.
We’ll ask them. Timex graphics
certainly let people learn about coor¬
dinates and FOR loops very quickly.
Yes. And about interactive
design.
I thought that needed very expen¬
sive equipment. Isn’t it the sort of
thing that car manufacturers do?
Try the following program. It
won’t let you design a car, but it
does illustrate the basic tactic of in¬
teractive design.
10 LET B$ = “
20 LET B$- B$ + B$ + B$ + B$
30 PRINT AT 0,0; “XLO.XHI.Y: “
40 INPUT XLO
50 INPUT XHI
60 INPUT Y
70 PRINT XLO; XHI; Y
80 FOR X = XLO TO XHI
90 PLOT X,Y
100 NEXT X
110 IF INKEY$ < > THEN
GOTO 110
120 PRINT AT 1,0; “PRESS K TO
KEEP, E TO ERASE;
130 IF INKEYS = THEN GOTO
130
140 LET R$ = INKEY$
150 PRINT R$
160 GOTO 300*[R$ = "K”) + 200*
(R$ = “E”)
170 PRINT AT 1,0; B$
180 GOTO 110
200 FOR X = XLO TO XHI
210 UNPLOT X,Y
220 NEXT X
300 PRINT AT 0,0; B$; B$
310 GOTO 30
Statement 30 prompts for the
values of X at the ends of the line
you want the program to draw, and
for the value of Y. Statements 80 to
100 draw the line. Statement 110
You can learn
basic principles
of animation on
your T/S1000,ZX81
waits if you still are pressing any
keys. Statement 120 prompts you to
show whether you want to keep the
line or to change your mind — this
is what makes it interactive,
Statements 200 to 220 erase the line
if you request this. Then the cycle
begins all over again.
% /
W
* \j\aai woe tjic aujjit: JiiCrjp
to expand the program, to promj
the user to type, say, D for a dot. j
for a horizontal line and V for a ve
43
-ffitrfs. £fys \
tical line, followed by the coor¬
dinates . . .
Correct. The person learning can
take off very quickly, varying and
expanding the prototype programs
for graphics.
Do these principles of graphics ap¬
ply to larger machines?
Yes. Using the T/S1000, students
and architects and fashion
designers and planners can get a
handle on writing prompting se¬
quences at home. Then if they want
larger or higher quality graphics,
they can go to bigger machines and
program these themselves or tell
the programmers what to do.
Can you get animation effects on
the T/S1000?
Yes. For example, patterns move
“We vastly under¬
utilize the
resources at our
disposal”
up the screen by SCRGLLing. To
see this, just type:
10 FOR N * 0 TO 63
20 SCROLL
30 PRINT TAB N; 44 ”
40 NEXT N
50 GOTO 10
This seems to make lines of little
darts shoot up.
I suppose if you turned the screen
on its side you could get things to
SCROLL sideways.
I would not recommend that
with the family television set.
What i/ you want to draw a face
with an eye that opens and shuts, or
a caterpillar wriggling across the
screen?
Easy. Many of the programs in
my recent book Personal Graphics
for Profit and Pleasure on the Apple
11 Plus Computer (with Graham K.
Barnett; Little, Brown; $14.50) can
be adapted to the T/S1000,ZXB1.
“Winkface” draws a face and
makes one eye wink. The outline of
the eye is drawn first: on the Timex
you just use PLOT commands.
Then if the center of the eye is at
position XC,YC you make it blink
by statements like
500 PLOT XC,YC
510 PAUSE 60
520 UNPLOT XC.YC
530 PAUSE 60
540 GOTO 500
This use of PLOT to draw and
UNPLOT to erase, or its equivalent
in other programming languages, is
a basic tactic of animation. Try this
ten-liner and meet Grenville the
Graceful Grub:
10 FOR N = 0 TO 7 STEP 2
20 PLOT N,20
30 PLOT N + 1,21
40 NEXT N
50 FOR M-0 TO 54 STEP 2
60 UNPLOT M,20
70 PLOT M + 8,20
80 UNPLOT M + 1,21
90 PLOT M + 9,21
100 NEXT M
He wiggles across the screen from
left to right. And you can vary the
program easily to make grubs of dif¬
ferent lengths and shapes wiggle in
different directions.
Here is a very different type of
graphics demonstration — a very
simple bar chart program:
10 LET B$ = "
H
20 PRINT AT 0,0;"MAXIMUM
VALUE:
30 INPUT MAXIMUM VALUE
40 PRINT MAXIMUM VALUE
50 LET Y = 43
55 PAUSE 60
60 PRINT AT 0,0;B$;AT 0,0;‘‘CAP-
TION, VALUE:
70 INPUT C$
80 INPUT VALUE
90 PRINT VALUE
100 LET Y = Y- 2
110 IF Y< = 0 OR VALUE>MAX-
IMUM VALUE THEN GOTO
1000
120 LET R= INT (.5 + 50* VALUE
/MAXIMUM VALUE)
130 FOR X = 1 TO R
140 PLOT X,Y
150 NEXT X
160 IF LEN C$>30-R/2 THEN
LET C$ = C$( TO 30-R/2)
170 PRINT “ VALUE;”)”
180 GOTO 60
1000 POKE 16417,1
1010 PRINT AT 0,0; B$
1020 COPY
It prompts for the maximum value
to be represented horizontally.
Then it prompts for the captions of
the bars and the values these repre¬
sent. It draws and labels the bars
and, when you want to quit, you
just press ENTER, type a number
greater than the maximum value
you typed originally, and press
ENTER again. Here is an example
of its output:
FI5H< 15)
■■■ MEftT(10>
" MILK<20)
. EGGS<£55
“ FRIJITC10)
. 1111 OTHER <£0>
Most of the examples you have
given are charts and geometrical
shapes and patterns. Don’t you feel
hampered by the lack of pictorial
realism?
I look on it rather as a challenge
to find what can be conveyed
without so-called realism. I think
that a very sad aspect of high
technology in general is that we
vastly under- utilize the hardware,
software, mathematics and very
sophisticated techniques at our
disposal. Part of the problem is that
we haven’t learned how to make
the most of simple resources.
Do you think the smallness of
machines like the T/SiOOO will
stimulate new research?
Yes. 0/ 0
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1903
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SPECIAL PRINTER OFFEH - Retail value. $150-182.00
MW- 100 printer - _ X 19-00
Two software titles free:
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Total
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WO
4.95
ToraU— e nd osed is Q check O money order
Charge to O Visa D Mastercard
Number _ _
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Address .
City/ State /Zip .
Volume discounts
available to dealers
and schools.
Send more info on:
□ Quickload software
□ MW-100 printer.
SEND TO: Eagle Sales Co./TS
15 Tech Circle Natick, MA 01760
(617) 655-3368
For more in/ormation* circle 16 on reader service card .
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1963
45
Th
Build your own EPROM
blower without blowing a
fortune
BECAUSE most users of the
T/S100Q,ZX81 are software*
orientated, the hardware has
been made simple in this design.
The software needed to run it con¬
sequently will be large and some of
it is in machine code.
The heart of the design is the
8255 programmable peripheral in¬
terface device. This chip has 24
lines of input or output, which can
be defined by software. There are
only sufficient to handle the 2532
EPROM. Port A is used to output
the eight least significant bits and
port C for the remaining address
bits and control bits. Table one
shows which functions port C has
for each of the two types of
EPROM, The design caters for the
2516 and 2432 EPROMs from
Texas Instruments. The 50ms pro¬
gramming pulse is timed by the
hardware and PC4 output must
return to 0 before 50ms has gone
by.
A simple program is included to
enable the programming of the
EPROM. The machine code routine
in the first REM statement will pro¬
gram one memory location and
read that memory location. The
Basic will call the routine as re¬
quired. The reason machine code is
required is because the 8255 chip is
placed in the I/O map of the Z-80 so
that the memory map is left alone.
In the T/S100Q,ZX81 the PEEK and
POKE commands access only the
memory map. As Sinclair has not
fully decoded the I/O map it was
difficult finding somewhere where
the 8255 was not affected by the
T/S100Q,ZX81,
Another reason for leaving the
memory map alone is so that
EPROMs can be placed above the
8K ROM. These could contain
routines to improve the 8K Basic.
Anyone building it is also advised
to acquire a data sheet on the 8255,
as the chip is very complex.
Stephen Churchman
details how to expand
the storage available for
programs using
inexpensive
components
Referring to the circuit diagrams,
two Nand gates have been used and
three Or gates to drive the chip
select pin. CS will go low only
when AO, Al, A2, A3 are logic 1
and A7, IORQ are logic 0. That
places the 8255 at 1FH, 3FH, 5FH,
and 7FH. The other two Nand gates
ensure that the 8255 and 50ms
timer are re-set when power is ap¬
plied.
The only difference between the
2516 and 2532 EPROMs are two
pins and that is why a switch has
been included. When programming
the 2532, the programming voltage
must be switched from 5V to 26V
and back to 5V either side of the
programming pulse. With the 2516
it may be left at 26V to verify the
EPROM contents. The 26V
regulator can be switched to 5V by
the PG7 output going high,
switching-on the BC108 and plac¬
ing a 5V zener across the 24V
zener.
The power supply is standard,
using a single transformer and half¬
wave rectification for the 5 V supply
and voltage doubling for the 26V
supply. It is best to make sure that
the transformer you buy has two 9V
windings in series aiding. The
50ms timer uses a 74123 TTL chip
— only one half is being used. The
diode And gate is needed as pin 20
of a 2532 needs to be low when
reading (C5) and low for 50ms
when programming.
The prototype is constructed on
two pieces of Veroboardi the PSU
on 0.1 5in, matrix and the main
components on a piece of VQ
board. It is wired with Verowire,
which is ideal for a prototype, as
modifications are easy to imple¬
ment. The final board is somewhat
cluttered because an extra chip had
to be added at a later stage to help
with the decoding of the CS line.
The transformer is bolted to the
base of the case and a cassette-type
mains plug and socket on the case.
The power transistor (BD235)
Figure 1: Driver circuit
BD235
26v
46
Figure 2; EPROM blower outside its case
Figure 3: P.S.U* diagram
Figure 4: Components
of small
board
and voltage regulator do not need
heat-sinks as they pass fairly small
currents. The two boards are fixed
on top of each other, with the
EPROM socket emerging through a
hole in the top cover of the box. The
switch is mounted next to the
EPROM socket.
With a REM statement on the
first line of a program, the first
character is at memory location
16514 decimal. The first four loca¬
tions are used to hold data for the
machine code program, the
machine code sub-routine starting
at 16518,
16514 — BYTE FOR PORT B
16515 — BYTE FOR PORT C
16516 — BYTE FOR PORT A
16517 - READ FROM PORT
A — used for verification.
Within the program, register F
holds the byte for Port Ct anc
'omcs
ZX KEYBOARD FOR USE WITH 80/81 SPECTRUM
Our new cased keyboard has 5 2 keys, 12 of these are used for the numeric pad The numeric pad offers some useful features, you can cursor with
one hand and it wifi be a boon for anyone who enters a lot of numeral data . The pad is a repeat of the I -9 keys plus it has a full stop and a shift key. The
numeric pad keys are coloured in red. the normal keyboard keys are grey, with the case being black which makes the whole thing very attractive The
case measures \S x 9 x 7Vi The computer (either 80/81 or spectrum) fits neatly inside. You will have to remove the computer from its original case, it is
then screwed to the base of the case The case had all the bosses already fitted and the screw holes are marked Also fitted inside the case is a mother
board (81 model only) which allows I6K. 32K and 64K to be fitted in the case All the connections are at the rear of the case i.e. Power, Mic, Ear, T V
and the expansion port The case is large enough for other add ons also
to be fined inside One of these could be the power supply, then you
could very quickly fit a mams switch, or a switch on the 9V fine This
means you have a very smart self-contained unit This case does not
stop you from using any other add-ons that you may have e g Printer
etc We are convinced that this is the best keyboard available at
present It offers more keys and features than any other keyboard in its
price range
SPECTR
16 K Memory E*a
The I6K uses 4 Up;
Static Ram and oeJl
using the Static J?T*
speed low power^i
the computer,
which comes to ju
where Position ii*t
64K Memory
AJf the above inf^
advantage lies in
56 K of usable me*}
the use of other ^
8192-65536 The &
Spectrum Mem<Y
Upgrade your Sp£ri
it is simply slipped15
are supplied, and^
time. The fitting rjL
same as Sinclair's^
NOTE
The case can be purchased separately with the keyboard aperture
uncut, so rf you have one of our early uncased keyboards, or m fact any
other suppliers' keyboards, these could be fitted The keyboard is
connected to your computer by a ribbon cable and this has connectors
fitted which simply push into the Sinclair connectors It is a simple two
minute job and requires no electronic skills This keyboard does not
need any soldering Please specify on order whether you require the ZX
81 or Spectrum case
SPECTRUM MODEL
SPECTRUM LIGHT PEN
This is supplied with spectrum legends, and a slightly different base
for fitting the spectrum msjde. again all the connectors are at the rear of
the case and there is plenty of room for the power supply (and other
add-ons) Should you want to change, we can supply both the
Spectrum legends and details of updating your case which will enable
modification from the ZX 81 to spectrum PLEASE specify on your order
whether you require the ZX 81 ex spectrum case
KEYBOARD
(SPECTRUM/81 )
The pen enables
you to produce high
resolution drawings
on your own televi¬
sion set. saving a vast
amount of time over
using basic program¬
ming statements, such
as Plot, Draw etc. You
can erase, modify and
save drawings and it
comes complete with
software program
The superb fight pen is
available from D K
tronics.
$49.95
* ,,rXZVta’.. •
i-^-i
1 1 il Ill'll Li r1
.
Internal fixing for
ZX 81 keyboard case.
r - ■ i
in niimimin * i
i < i
i "" i
L. . J
-T iira
Internal fixing for
spectrum keyboard
case.
4a
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER /une 1983
SPECTRUM/81 TOOLKIT
This is the toolkit which won acclaim in the feature in the August
1982 issue (pages 29 and 30) of Sinclair User "ft is the most impressive
program, fast in execution with clear and full instructions , it stands out
from the rest of the field. " The ZXED is a powerful editor for use on the
expanded ZX81 . ft is intended for use by the serious BASIC programmer
and offers several useful and time saving features most helpful during all
stages of program development. The facilities provided are as follows
ALTER, BYTES, COPY, DELETE, FIND, HELP, INSERT, KEEP, MOVE.
RENUMBER AND VERIFY The Spectrum Toolkit contains most of the
features above plus autofme numberer and append, and will run in the
16K and 48K spectrum.
Both at
only $12.95
FLEXIBLE
RIBBON
CONNECTOR
ff you have ever had whiteouts
or system crashes this could be
the answer. It stops the move¬
ment between the computer and
the RAM expansion, it is supplied
with a ribbon, 6 inches long, witfi
a male connector at one end and
a female at the other, at only
$35.95
4K GRAPHICS ROM $44. 95
The DK Graphic module is our latest ZX 81 accessory This module
unlike most other accessories fits neatly inside your computer under the
keyboard The module comes ready built, fully tested and complete
with a 4K graphic ROM Thrs will give you an unbelievable 448 extra
pre programmed graphics, your normal graphic set contains only 64
This means that you now have 512 graphics and with their inverse
1024 This now turns the 81 into a very powerful computer with a
graphic set rarefy found on larger more expensive machines In the
ROM are lower case letters, bombs, bullets, rockets, tanks, a complete
set of invaders graphics and that only accounts for about 50 of them,
there are still about 400 left (that may give you an idea as to the scope of
the new ROM] However, the module does not finish there, it also has a
spare holder on the board which will accept a further 4K of ROM/RAM
Thrs holder can be fitted with a JK/2K/RAM and can be used for user
definable graphics so you can create your own custom character sets
WHY WATT?
ORDER TODAY FOR FAST DELIVERY
16K Memory $43 9S
1(iK juncAied; fj JL«
64W Memory ftJSOQ
64K|uniaied| f 112 QQ
16/64 MEMORY
FORZX81^H
The above illustration shows the casing for the I6K or massive 64K
I'UM MEMORY
t mansion $41.50
b Dynamic Ram Chips. We use the dynamic as they are much denser than
:i :upy less space. They are also much cheaper than the equivalent product
c im. The Ram is manufactured with high quality materials, and uses hrgh
i fams. It is supplied ready-built and only needs to be plugged into the rear of
II the components are fitted into holders, Thrs massive add-on memory
/ ou full y assembled and tested is the cheapest 1 6K memory available any*
r memory from 16384 to 32768, (Same as the Sinclair memory ,)
T6K (UNCASED) $35.95
K pension $135.00
z rmation on the I6K also applies to the 64K Memory Expansion, but the
t he 64 K giving nearly FOUR times the memory. This advanced model has
r nory. In addition, the block from 8K to J6K can be switched out to enable
h Jdons. The graphics ROM is to be used in this area. Positron in Memory.
E l*0Ck From 8192-1 6384 is switchable 64K (UNCASED)$TJ2.00
□ ry Expansion $54.00
? pum to 48K of user Ram. The Spectrum memory expansion is simple to fit,
nside the case, and then only requires plugging in. Full fitting instructions
:he only tool you will need is a screwdriver and just two minutes of your
e quires no electronic skills. Position in memory from 32768 to 65536, (The
i jpgrade to 48 KJ,
| Plrav statf type of macron*, which Rom memory we. quantity and pi,Ke when ofdenng
Pfease send me . . . @
Please send me .
Please send me . . _ _ _ _
Please add on $ 9,00 for P/P
In enclose cheque/P.G. payable to DKTronics total E. . .
or debit my Acte ss/Ba re iaycard [_
Mastercard
Signature .
Send to DK Jronics Ltd, Unit 2, Shire Hill tnd £ sr, Saffron Walden
Essex C07I 1AQ England.
Tel: { 0799 ) 2203b { trade enquiries please telex 81653 attn. DK)
cft'tronks
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983 For more information t circle 19 on reader service cord.
| iNci* colour brochure now JvtiUble, send 1 1.00 tor quick return _ j
ion. rirrlf* on render servire rrnrrf. 49
register that for port B, and register
B that for port A. Register C con¬
tains the I/O location of the three
ports and the Control Location.
Register DE is used as a counter to
pause for longer than 50ms — when
following the machine code
routine, it is useful to look at table
one.
The timer has to last for 50ms, so
an electrolytic capacitor is used.
Because they have tolerances bet¬
ween plus 100 percent or minus 50
percent the pre-set is made very
large to take account of it. If elec¬
trolyses are used, the timer should
be set up on an oscilloscope. If an
oscilloscope is not available, tan¬
talum capacitors should be used in¬
stead. Alternatively, it is possible to
feed the Q output temporarily to the
port A input — any will do — and
write a small program to measure
the duration of the output pulse,
Table 1
2516.2K by 8-bit
EPROM function
Nothing
Read Program
PCD
A8
—Standard
Address Inputs
PCI
A9
—Standard
Address Inputs—
PC2
A10
—Standard
Address Inputs—
PC3
Not used
PC4
PD/PGM
Low
Low Pulsed high
PCS
Not used
—
— —
PC6
CS
High
Low High
PC7
5v/26v
High
High Low
2352,4 K by 8-bit
EPROM function
Nothing
Read Program
PCO
AS
—Standard
Address tnpu ts—
PCI
A 9
—Standard
Address Inputs—
PC2
A10
—Standard
Address Inputs—
PC3
All
—Standard
Address Inputs—
PC4
Pd/PGM
Low
Low Pulsed high
PCS
Not used
High
Low High
PC6
CS
—
— —
PC7
5v/26v
High
High Low
Figure 5; Detail of wiring
on small board
oooo
ooooo
o o o o o
ooooo
ooooo
OOOOOI
o o o
O OJ1
OOGOOOOOOOOOOl
OOOOOOOOOOOOOl
OOOJOOOOOOOOOI
OOOOOOOOOOOOOl
OOOOOOOOOOl
O O I
OOOOO
ooooo
o o ^ o c
ooooo
ooooo
ooooo
Aoooo
oooo
OOOO
oooo
OOOO
oooo
oooo
OOOO
O O O O O O I
O O O O O o 1
O O O O D O <
OOOOOOl
OOOOOOl
OOOOOOl
OOOOOOl
Figure 6: Main circuit diagram
ZJ£81 EDGE
CONNECTOR
+26 ¥
50
Components
1 x INS8255 ( 1 C 1 >
1 x 741 32 (1C 2)
1 x 74LS32 MC 3)
1 x 74LSOOOC4I
1 x 7805 (IC5) 5v I A regulator
1 x BD235ITR 1)
1 x BC108CTR2)
3 x IN 4002
1 xBZY88 24V Zener
1 x BXY88 SVZener
3 x IN4 1 48
2x470 ^-F 63V electrolytic
1 x22G0/r-F 1 6V electrolytic
t x 1 0*/-F 1 0V electrolytic
1 x 1 /j-F 63 V tantalum
3 xO.1 Polyester
1 x 4 7 K ohms Preset Resistor
1 x 5K6 ohms V2w 5% Resistor
1 x 4 K7 ohms Vzw 5% Resistor
1 x 2X7 ohms V?w 6% Resistor
1 x 2 pole change-over switch
1 x 40 pm DILsocket
1 x 24 pm zero force socket
1 x 9-0-9V 1 amp transformer
1 xcase 1 6 cm. x 1 0cm. x 6cm.
Veroboa rd— VQ boa rd
Verowire
1 2in ribbon cable— 20-way
Nuts and bolts
Cassette-type chassis plug and free socket
Connecting wire— single plus twin mams
23-way double-edge connector
23-way double male-male PCB
10© PRINT L,UHPT A0DRE55 IN THE
EPROMIB
110 INPUT V
12© REM 3 MSB NEED TO BE R L0GI
C 1
130 LET Y=rY+5^3^t-t
14© POKE lb514 j Y-256+INT (Y/aS6
IS© POKE 16515 jINT fY/256)
160 PRINT "ENTER NO OF BYTES TO
BE SENT"
170 INPUT R
1S0 DIM B t R )
190 FOR C^l TO R
200 INPUT B(C1
210 PRINT 6(C)
223 NEXT C
230 FOR C=1 TO R
24-0 POKE 16516 , B ( C 3
25© LET 5=U5R 1651©
260 IF PEEK 16516 OPEEK 16517 T
HEN GOTO 1000
270 LET Y =Y +1
2B0 POKE 165 14|Y —256* 1NT CY^256
230 POKE 16515 ^ I NT
I T /dODl
300 NEXT C
310 PRINT "JOB FINISHED,. NO ERR
ORS "
320 PRINT "DO YOU REQUIRE TO PR
OGRRH MORE DRTR IN"
330 INPUT Z*
34.0 IF Z*="Y" THEN GOTO 100
3S0 STOP
1000 PRINT "ERROR HRS OCCURRED"
1010 LET Y =Y -5734.4
£2INT "ERROR OCCURRED RT '* : Y
1030 PRINT "DRTR RERD FROM THIS
LOCATION 15 " ; PEEK 16517
104.0 STOP
Figure 8: Cut track on back of
large board
Machine Code Table
16514
16516
16518
16520
14127
LDr,N
LDR.N
r-A. N - 80
r- c, N - 7FH
Conditions the ports as outputs
16522
237121
QUT(C),r
r = A
Sets up H, L and B.
16524
4213064
LDHL.(nn)
nn- 16514
16527
5813264
LDA.(nn
nn- 16516
16530
71
LDr.r
r = B;r- A
16531
1495
LDr.N
r = C,N * 5FH
16533
23797
OUT(C).r
r-H
Outputs
16535
1463
LDr.N
r-C.N*3FH
H to port C
16537
237105
OUT(C).r
r- L
L to Port B
16539
1431
LDr.N
r-C,N-HFH
B to Port A
16541
23765
OUT(C),r
r ■ B
06543
1495
LDr.N
r*C,N * 5PH
16545
203188
Bit 7 Low
Begins
programming
Cycle,
r- 11
16547
203238
SETb.r
Bit 4 High
r = H
16549
23797
OUT(C),r
r-H
16551
203164
RESb.r
Bit 4 Low
r= H
Reconditions Report C does
16553
23797
GUT[C)>r
r-H
not stop 74123 from working.
16555
1700000
LDdd.nn
dd = DE.nn = 00
16558
29
DECm
m = E
16559
32253
]R NZ.e
e-1
1 10ms delay.
16561
21
DECm
m- D
16562
32250
JR NZ.e
e = 4
16564
14127
LDr.N
r«C,N - 7FH
Reconditions A as 1/P.
16566
62144
LDr.N
r-A.N-90
Reconditions A as I/P.
16568
237121
QUT(C).r
r = A
16570
203180
RESb.r
Bit 6 Low
r-H
Reconditions H and
16572
1495
LDr.N
r-C.N « 5FH
sends to Port C.
16574
23797
OUT(C),r
r- ii
16576
1463
LDr.N
r-C.N * 3FH
Refills Port B.
16578
237105
OUT[CJ.r
r = 1
16580
1431
LDr.N
r-C.N-lFH
Read EPROM.
16582
16584
16587
237120
5013364
201
IN(C).r
LDnn.A
RET
r-A
Store result at 16517
time between C4 going low and Q
.output returning low.
The software has been tested on
a 2516 EPROM and programmed a
routine successfully into it. The
software for a 2432 EPROM will be
given in a later issue of the
magazine, By*e
Figure 9: Cutting tracks
Figure 10: Cutting hole in lid
52
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
Figure 13: Connecting fine wires along
Figure IS: Attach transformer and mains
socket to box
Figure 14: Connecting small board
Figure 16: Connect small board to edge
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
53
Extend your ZX81/TS1000:
Add Memory that won’t Forget!
** ADD YOUR OWN SYSTEM UTILITIES
^ BUILD UP A LIBRARY OF MACHINE
LANGUAGE SUBROUTINES
^ UP TO 8K NONVOLATILE RAM
^ USE HM6116LP CMOS RAM
OR 2716/2732 EPROM
^ COMPATIBLE WITH
16K RAM PACKS
READ THE REVIEWS:
>7 ^
95
ptus $1 96 shco^g and hanOHng
Whirl a Sweer prcducr concaved and #*ec tiled very rwce+y and win quality component
(SYNTAX QUARTERLY Wkila 121
BK NerwflUtito maroon? 4 a 000" II has bo mar^ p<M54>te uses I recommend board fhOil heartily
4 OKLAHOMA S if 0 Newalaltar 1 f*
W* found to* doCn^noHaiori to be nr jgpacir to mat Idfi rno*l hardware we've received
(i.UM f**w*Utt*f MowfOtc «n
vtrttWf 6h4 4 batt* 1hw an EPSOM <V*\ quit? high cm 1h* k*l qi "must -naves"
t&rNC M MtdNx m
INTRODUCTION
This memory board b designed to <» toe iransparent $K
blech ol m*mery [from 9 to 1-6KJ m a ZXB1-16K tyStam
This area ri memory 4 an ideal p*K9 to tfwa, ehhei pa-
mananlly « lemporarity, machine lahguaQ* lOubnei or
data which are to be uwto by the BASIC syalem
A sample tfrsplay roulrne a program— merging routine,
and procedures tor tiding ulu.lie* on tape are inctodw
Th* use Of NM61 I SLP 2H CMOS RAM memory C t with
their mm reserve power supply means that regimes stored
m the RAM are nonvotalile — lh» RAM H* mamory
•van when toeZWil b switched oft or resel Moreover be-
mg RAM the regimes yog ftoto m the memory ere easily
mobile# The MhMin cal supped wUh the board will main*
lam sufficient reserve power taf almost tern years
ASSEMBLY
Complete slep-by-slep instructions in a 20 page manual
make aisenfcNy at the board easy Con*1rMCUcm Wes be
tween two arto three hours The hit {pictured above! *
curl board, all capacitors, resistors, fransislors. *0Ch*t*.
connectors, miegraied ckcuiu. and the hii-imm cel! The
board is suppaed wdh one ?K CMOS &1 1 6UP-3 RAM — it
* mc« lor a total Of 6*(
Complete lut with 2K
Atftiiortai three €1t8LP-3
Bare pc board & manual
Assembled 9 lestod wdh in
*#96
neoo
H306
*U9*
SmppmgAhandlinfl pa order I 1.96
Send check or money or da to the address beto*
HUNTER. 1630 FOREST HILLS DRIVE. OKEMOS, Ml 48864
For more informal ion, circle 20 on render service cord.
IOOO
114 PLOT modes including:
Points and various tin* types
Textured triangle rill
Absolute ami relative co-ordinates
Lin* drawing to points oft screen
Mixed text and graphics including PRINT at graphics
cursor.
User defined graphics for space invaders etc
Screen COPY to printer
MAIL OSDtft SHOP
Noting Dale Technology Centre
1 89 Freston Road, London W1 0 6TH
Telephone: 01 969-8942
For more information, circle 22 on reader service card.
CHANGE YOUR
TIMEX/SINCLAIR 1000 DISPLAY
TO FULL COLOUR GRAPHICS
with
KOLORWORKS
LOOK AT THE FEATURES ■ 1 !
# Plugs into ZX81/1 000 (edge connector}
# All text will run on the color tv
* Module contains It's own memory
* User defined characters & graphics up to
256x192 pixels
# Latest technology with TMS9918 VDP
(32 sprite levels)
* Module contains extension of basic commands
including: PAPER /IN K/BOR DER/BI N/
SPRITE/OUT/INP/etc.
for $149,95
Use your KOLORWORKS immediately wilti a
game cassette for $9.95
This delightful game is designed for hours of fun using some
of the color graphic capabilities of KOLORWORKS. The
cassette also contains a short program to familiarize you
with some of the commands and graphics.
MAIL TO:
BRAINCHILD COMPUTER WORKS, INC.
P.0, Box 506
Pewaukee, Wl 53072
Price + Qty. Amount
KOLORWORKS
$149.95
CASSETTE
9.95
Shipping and Handling
4.95
$4.95
WL Rex. add Sales Tax
My Dcheck Qmoney order enclosed
TOTAL
Nam*
Street
City State Zip
Please allow six to eight weeks for processing. Thank you.
For further information - Send $2.00 (credited to order)
WATCH FOR:
"GAAMWORKS” -
Joystick Ports / Sound / Cartridge Slot
For more information, circle 27 on reader service card.
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1903
54
ICiriTeRCOMPUT€R IMC.
T M
Expands the use of your TIMEX SINCLAIR 1000
INTERCONTROLLEFU
Makes Your Life a Little Easier
Puts your Timex Sinclair 1000 to work around the clock and
does any number of tasks for you automatically (turns on/off
your lights, motors, wafers your lawn ) at home, office or
laboratory Just plug INTERCONTROLLER™ into your com-
puter and program each of the unit three switches individu¬
ally, The INTERCONTROLLER™ is software programable
time intervals from fractions of seconds to days. You can
connect up to four INTERCONTROLLER™ units to your
computer if you have a SOFTBOX™ #PL7013 $34.95
CARTRIDGES
Don! Wait For Cassette Based Programs To Load
Many intercomputer programs are also available on solid
state cartridges Just plug a cartridge directly into your TS
1000 or if you have a SOFTBOX™, connect up to four car¬
tridges to your computer at a time and enjoy having instant
and easy access to your favorite program
#CS1001 $24.95
FLEXIBLE RIBBON CONNECTOR
No More System Crashes
For connecting any MEMORY EXPANSION, SOFTBOX™
CARTRIDGES, and INTER CONTROLLER™ to your TS100G
This flexible connector prevents usual system crashes caused
by the RAM expansion movement
■ Gold Plated Connectors
* 6 Inches Long Flat Ribbon Cable #PL7016 $17.95
SOFTBOX™
This modular box contains four gold plated software select^
able connectors which can hold any combination of INTER-
CONTROLLER™ units or software CARTRIDGES, The
SOFTBOX™ has a DC power input jack, an on-off switch, and
an LED indicator, providing a better alternative for powering
on/off your computer and peripherals eliminating overloading
Prob,ems #PL7012 $59.95
QSAVE
A Reliable Fas! Loading System
Many thousands of satisfied customers
now have a highly reliable loading system
which operates 16 times faster than the
Sinclair system
This is what you get
1. A cassette interface which plugs into
your Timex 1000 to improve the sig¬
nal quality To make loading most reli¬
able, an AUTOMATIC LEVEL CON¬
TROL. an OVERLOAD WARNING
LIGHT, a SAVE/LOAD SWITCH, and
an ON/OFF switch are also built into
this unit
2. Highly sophisticated software which
will load and save programs at 16
times their normal speed (i.e 8K in 10
secs; 48K in 110 secs) It works
equally well with AUTO RUN pro¬
grams, BASIC or MACHINE CODE
QSAVE will operate with ANY memory
and on ANY program length All the above
is contained in V4K of superbly easy to use
software
#PL7001
$37.95
MCODER
Makes Machine Code Redundant
Now there is no need to spend long
tedious hours writing and debugging your
programs in laborious machine code — let
MCoder do all the hard work for you
MCoder is the first real integer compiler
for the Timex Sinclair 1000 This very
sophisticated piece of software will simply
translate basic programs into machine
code for you. giving an average speed
improvement of the order of 75 times
although in certain cases the improve¬
ment can be as much as 900 times faster
MCODER IS DESIGNED TO BE AS
SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE TO USE
1. Load MCoder
2. Write or load your basic program as
normal
3. RUN and debug your basic program
4. Compile your program using a single
PRINT USR command If you have
made a mistake MCoder will tell you
exactly where, allowing you to correct
it before it is too late
As an additional feature basic programs
can be compiled and "Stacked ' above
each other in memory — giving you true
flexibility in your programming
#PT4001 $18.95
STOPPER
No doubt you have felt the frustration of
not being able to see the listing or to
make backup copies of machine code
programs. Intercomputer STOPPER ends
this frustration and enables you to break
through any machine code software you
want, list the program on the screen, save
it on another tape, or print it if you have a
printer Simply load STOPPER and your
program into your TS 1000 and follow
instructions Once loaded STOPPER stays
in your computer and you may use it for
other programs #PT4002 $18 95
DEALERS/DISTRIBUTORS PACKAGE
AVAILABLE
Phone orders: (617) 437-1190 7 days a week
Twail to: Intercomputer. Inc PO Sox 90
Prudential Center. Boston, M A 02199
Tel (617) 437-1190
Telex 951141COFAA
PART#
QTY
UNIT U S $
TOTAL
J
. . 1
Shipping and Handling 4.95
Mass Residents Tax 5%
□ Check Total
□ Mastercard
□ Visa
Account No
Exp - j
For more information on these products and our FULL LINE OF SOFTWARE
please call or write to INTERCOMPUTE a
COMING SOON: A full line of Software and Peripherals for ZX SPECTRUM/
TIMEX SINCLAIR 2000
Name
Add ress
State Zip
For more information, circle 23 on reader service card.
If 2* g
Vast support network growing
AVAST support network exists
for the T/S1000.ZX81:
wherever goes the most
popular computer in history, user
groups are not far behind. Below is
a list of many such groups in the
United States; as new ones are
springing up all the time, we make
no claims that it is inclusive.
Whenever two or more
★★★★★★★★★★★
CALIFORNIA
Bay Area ZX User Group
2660 Las Aroma
Oakland CA 94611
Pacifica TS/ZX Users" Group
263 Gateway #107
Pacifica CA 94044
Contact: George Mockridge
415-359-3198
Perkin- Elmer Users' Group
6333 Pumalo
Alta Loma CA 91701
Contact: Rein Smith
Subscription Offer
Timex Sinclair User extends a
special offer to User Groups! Your
group can earn $125 or more to
help pay for your newsletters,
speakers’ fees, renting meeting
space and so on. To earn your
“Bonus Bucks,” sign 25 members
or more as subscribers to Timex
Sinclair User at $29.95 each; send
us a cheque for only $24.95 per
order; keep the $5 cash bonus for
each order (minimum 25), and earn
at least $125 for your group.
Each subscriber will receive, at
no extra charge, a cassette of an ex¬
citing new arcade game, "Packrab-
bit” (retail value $15), Special offer
valid for limited time only.
T/S1000.ZX81 enthusiasts meet,
there you see the beginnings of a
group; and as there are now more
than 600,000 T/S1000.ZX81 com¬
puters sold in the United States,
such meetings are becoming in¬
creasingly common. So if we have
omitted your group, we apologize
— and do let us know so we can in¬
clude it in an update. 3>* 3
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
User Group
RO. Box 2842
Users’ Group
814-364-1325
947 Clara Drive
Atlanta GA 30301
9528 Elvin Lane
Pittsburgh Area Computer
Palo Alto CA 94303
Contact: Phil Hoffstadter
Lanham MD 20706
Club,
Contact: Dr, Paul Perreault
404-529-4326
Contact: Cora C. Dickinson
Special Interest Group —
408-734-5300
ILLINOIS
MASSACHUSETTS
Sinclair
West L.A. Sinclair/Timex User
Chicago Area Users’ Group
Boston Computer Society
1605 Middlecrest Drive
Club
323 S. Franklin #804
3 Center Plaza
Glenshaw PA 15116
P.O. Box 34545
Chicago IL 60606
Boston MA 02136
, Contact: Dick Welsh
Los Angeles CA 90034
Contact: Larry Weigel
Contact: Sue Mahoney
412-487-0789
Contact: Dr. George Kuby
Circle Chess Group
Mitre Bedford Sinclair/Timex
TENNESSEE
213-550-5035
P.O. Box 63
Computer Club
Chatanooga Area Sinclair
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Des Plaines, IL 60017
Box 208, El 70 Mail Stop
Users
Washington Area Users
Contact: A.F. Standis
Bedford MA 01730
RO, Box 1321
RO, 6239
Sinclair Users' Network
Contact: Ed Lindsay
Collegedale TN 37315
Washington DC 20015
2170 Oak Brook Circle
MICHIGAN
Contact: Dan Williams
FLORIDA
Palatine IL 60067
Michigan Area Users’ Group
TEXAS
Florida Suncoast Users’
Contact: Diana Wright
433-D E. Edgewood Blvd,
Timex Educator’s User’s
Group
312-934-9375
Lansing ML 48910
Group
RO. Box 5021
INDIANA
NEBRASKA
School of Education,
Spring Hill FL 33526
Sinclair Midwest Users'
S.U.N. (Sinclair Users’
Texas Wesleyan College
Contact: John Dowlan
Group
Network)
Fort Worth TX 76105
Sam-Bam Users’ Group
P.O. Box 13042
4903 Walker
Contact: Mark Wasicsko
P.O. Box 596
Fort Wayne IN 46866
Lincoln NE 68504
817-531-4440
Safety Harbor FL 33572
Contact: Robert C, Carroll
Contact: Patrick Murphy
VIRGINIA
Contact: Mel Routt
LOUISIANA
402-464-8086
Central Virginia Users' Group
Sinclair/Timex 5E Region
Gulf Coast Sinclair Users’
NEW YORK
Rt. 1, Box 192,
Newsletter
Group
DataAmeriea Computer
Troy VA 22974
669 Levitt Parkway
144 Terry Dr.
312 E. 84 St. #1A
Colonial Pennwild TS User
Rockledge FL 32955
Slidell LA 70458
New York NY 10028
Group
Contact: Ralph M. Coletti
MARYLAND
Upperstate New York ZX81
146 Hawthorne Drive
305-853-6901
Amateur Radio Group
Users
Newport News VA 23602
Space Coast Microcomputer
5448 Tilden Road
13 Dennis Ave.
Contact: Jim Langston
Club
Bladensburg MD
Plaftsburg NY 12901
804-877-3920
70 Darwin Ave.
Contact: Jim Wallace
Contact: Vern Olsen
WEST VIRGINIA
Merritt Island FL 32952
Prince George’s Sinclair
ZX Users' Group of America
Sinclair Super Group
Contact: Bruce Hosken
Users' Group
626 Water St.
949 Brier SL
GEORGIA
5448 Tilden Road
New York NY 10002
St. Albans WV 25177
Atlanta Users' Croup
Bladensburg MD
Contact: Jules Gesang
ZX Users’ Group of New York
J3f\v RQ|1 ftjfflll St
Contact: William Meclaw
301-243-2550
QUA JoU, IVlall Ql*
New York NY 10005
DU
Seabrook/Lanham Sinclair
Contact: Caroline Vivanco
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER
NORTH CAROLINA
Triangle Sinclair Users'
Group
RO. Box 12546
Research Triangle Park NC
27709
Contact: John Drummond
919-543-6006
PENNSYLVANIA
Central PA TS/ZX Users'
Group
RD 1. RO. Box 539
Centre Hall PA 16828
In the U.K.,
home of the world’s
best-selling
computer,, you’d
buy through
Prism.
Now, m the U.S. A.f
you con buy the
best-proven
programs from
Prism...
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER
5?
Spread-sheet plant
chaBenaina games, ed
Over a million people world-wide have bought a Timex
Sinclair personal computer, and every month the figure grows.
ADVENTURE
Al. Samurai Warrior — A game where, as a
Samurai warrior, you battle with other
Samurai and with bandits to protect villages.
Can you become Shogun? ( 1 6K)
A2. Tyrant of Athens — Disasters, famines,
attacks from land and sea. Can you resist
them all and remain Lord of Athens? < I6K)
A3, Roman Empire — Send legions to
conquer Mediterranean countries — and if
you succeed, crown 'yourself Caesar! (16K)
Peloponnesian — A re-enactment of the
famous battles between Athens and Sparta.
Try to win allies and influence people before
the final battle! (16K)
A5, Warlord — You’ll need swift judgement
to protect your village from marauding
bandits and Samurai, your fleet from pirates,
and your people from slavery. (16K)
And it's true of any serious computer that 'the software
makes the system’.
So, what better software to buy than Prism software? As
Exclusive Trade Distributors for the Sinclair range of computers,
peripherals and software in the U.K., Prism in-depth knowledge
and experience is unrivalled.
With a significant reputation to maintain, you can be sure
Prism software has been thoroughly 'field-proven’.
Spread-sheet planner, word processing, challenging games,
educational programs . . . now they’re all available to you in
North America.
They gi*e you even more scope with your TS10OO, and allow
you to use your computer immediately*.
This easy-to-use software is even easier to order! Complete
and mail the coupon opposite for the programs of your choice —
today.
A6. Escape From Manhattan — MAY DAY
. . . MAY DAY . . . The President’s plane
has crashed, on an island of convicts! Get
there! Get him! Then get out again! (16K)
A7. Demon Adventure — Standard-text
adventure game with real-time battles and
which relies on complexity rather than
difficulty of play. (I6K)
A8. The Thing — A graphic adventure game
set in the Antartic, Escape to the helicopter
and save your life — if you can. (16K)
ARCADE ACTION
Rl. J.D. Arcades — Three popular m/code
games with some novel twists. (16K)
R2. Outrider — Save your mother ship. She’s
being assailed by aliens! (16K)
+16K programs require 16K RAM memory pack . R3- Xaraks — Get round the maze without
All designed to let you
most from your TS100
58
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1903
ting, word processing,
motional programs...
the guard catching you. And if you want to
make things difficult for yourself, there are
nine levels of play, all m/code, ( 16K)
R4, Avenger — A classic. Can you win the
planet? Destroy oncoming missiles, bombs,
and the city below to stake your claim. (16K)
R5. Protector — Defend your ship against
oncoming missiles. Can you create the
highest-ever score? (16K)
R6. Bomber — You must land, but not
before all alien life forms are neutralized . . .
but they want to neutralize you! (16K)
R7, Alien Rain — There's an Extra
Terrestrial on one side of the screen, and
you're on the other. It's raining — bombs!
Please try and rescue the
Extra-Terrestrial . ( 1 6K)
Pl09,am''sW9 ,,
coni'"
ued o'16'
Now order your TS1000
programs direct from Prism—
the TS1000 experts , , .
Adventure
0 AL Samurai Warrior . . $9.95
□ A2. Tyrant of Athens , . $9.95
□ A3. Roman Empire _ $9.95
□ A4. Peloponnesian . , . , $9.95
□ AS. Warlord .......... $9.95
□ A 6. Escape From
Manhatten . . $14.95
□ A7. Demon Adventure . $9.95
D AS. The Thing ........ $9.95
Arcade Action
□ Rl. F.D. Arcades . $9.95
□ R2. Outrider . . . $9.95
□ R3. Xaraks . . $9.95
D R4. Avenger . $9.95
D R5. Protector .... . $9.95
D R6. Bomber .......... $9.95
□ R7. Alien Rain . . . $9.95
Business
□ BL Word Processor . . $19.95
□ B3. Trawler. . . $9.95
Challenge
□ Cl. Video Map _ _ $9.95
□ C2. . Golf . . $9.95
□ C3. Pilot ... . $9.95
Computer
□ PI. Hi- Res Package .. $19.95
□ P2 . Video Graph . ... . $14,95
□ PS. Video Sketch . $14.95
Games
□ Gl. Party Tricks . $9.95
□ G2. Music Program. . * , $9.95
Total
Postage & Handling $1 .50 per item
(SS.00 maximum)
N.Y, Residents add 7% Sales Tax
TOTAL ORDER VALUE
C Check □ Mastercard □ Visa □ Money Order
Card No. _ Exp. date _
Cardholder’s signature^ _
Name _
Address
City _ State _ Zip
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
get the
O...Now!
Please send coupon with payment to:
PRISM MICROPRODUCTS
49 La Salle Avenue
Buffalo, N.Y.. 14214
I Prism Micro products are
i published and distributed in
I North America by
_ Internationa] Publishing &
I Software Inc,
i _
MICROPRCTXJCTS
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
OOOiSl
Order yourTS 1000 programs
iodau- direct from Prism, the
KI000 experts.
BUSINESS
BL Word Processor — Use your TS1000 to
familiarise yourself with word processing* If
you have a printer, prepare a letter to your
friends* (16K)
B2. The Spread-sheet — Prepare forecasts,
budgets, projections and models* This spread¬
sheet planner for the TS1000 brings
professional computer techniques within
everyone’s reach* (16K)
B3. Trawler — A business- management game
set in the North Sea. Can you match the
catch of a top trawler captain? (16K)
CHALLENGE
Cl. Video Map — Navigate your plane cross¬
country* Sounds easy? If you go off course
(I6K)
C2. Golf — Play your game of golf in the
comfort of your own home! But don’t be
deceived — you still have to deal with sand,
rough, trees, etc* (16K)
C3* Pilot — That’s you* Can you land your
plane safely in the dark? (16K)
COMPUTING
PI. Hi-Res Package — Greatly enhances the
graphics facilities of your TS1000, increasing
the resolution to 256 x 192. (I6K)
P2, Video Graph — Despite the name this
one doesn’t plot graphs! Instead, this
fascinating program enables you to create
pictures which can be stored, and then
merged — like an Identikit* (16K)
P3. Video Sketch — Use the full graphics
facilities of the TS1G00 — draw, type, use the
large alphabet and reverse images. (16K)
GAMES
Gl. Party Tricks — A range of programs
with listings suppied, to give the novice an
insight into the TS1Q0O BASIC* (IK)
G2. Music Program — Compose your music
on the TS100G. With the aid of an amplifier it
can play for you (I6K)
MOKPRODUCTS
L
PRISM MICROPRODUCTS INC.
49 La Salle Avenue
Buffalo, N,Y. 14214
60
For more information, circle 24 on reader service card.
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1963
GLOSSARY
Basic — Beginners* All-purpose
Symbolic Instruction Code. A
programming language resembling
English which is used by beginners
because most popular microcom¬
puters have it as standard.
Bug — an error in a program.
EPROM — Erasable Programmable
Read-Only Memory. Semi¬
permanent storage. Information is
not erased if the power is turned off
in the computer. Programs can be
erased by subjecting the memory
chips to ultra-violet light. The
memory can then be reprogrammed
using an electrical device called an
EPROM blower*
Interface — RS232 and Centronics,
A device which enables other com¬
puters or add-ons, such as printers*
to be connected to the computer* It
converts non-standard signals from
add-ons to the standard signals of
the computer in use.
Kilobyte (K) — A measurement of
memory size. Most machines use
16K as a minimum but 48K is
generally agreed to be necessary for
serious work.
Machine code — An electronic
pulse code used by the computer to
perform functions and communicate
with memory and other devices.
Mnemonics — Abbreviated instruc¬
tions — for example LD for Load —
used in machine language program¬
ming.
Motherboard — An external printed
circuit board which is used like a
multi-way plug planner. It enables
other printed circuit boards* such as
graphics boards and color boards* to
be slotted in.
Port — A link to the outside world
which can be used by programs and
the computer.
PCB — Printed Circuit Board, A
board which has on it the electronic
circuits of the computer.
RAM — Random Access Memory.
Information and programs can be
stored in this type of memory as elec¬
tronic pulses which conform to a set
of numbers — machine language —
in which programs are represented
in the computer. When the power is
turned off the information will be
lost.
ROM — Read Only Memory. Infor¬
mation stored in this type of memory
is not lost when the power is switch¬
ed off.
Software — Programs which control
the operation of the computer.
Syntax error — a bug caused by in¬
correct use of a programming
language.
The basic route to a
habit-forming hobby
Our easy-to-follow guide for new owners
UYING a Timex Sinclair
machine can be the start of a
lifetime obsession with home
computing* It is easy* however* to
become discouraged if everything
does not go according to plan from
the beginning.
For those with only a little
knowledge of computers and their
capabilities* the best way to ap¬
proach the machine is to abandon
any ideas for special uses. It is bet¬
ter to become familiar with the
many facilities and then decide
how you wish to use them.
Begin by unpacking your
machine* overcoming your surprise
at its size and weight and, follow¬
ing the manual*set up the system. If
you cannot get the K on the screen*
check that everything is plugged in¬
to its correct socket and reset the
machine by pulling out the power
plug for one second and plugging it
in again. If still nothing appears,
check the power supply unit by
shaking it. If it rattles, return it. If it
is okay* check your system with
that of a friend.
Once the K appears you are
ready to begin learning about your
machine. It can prevent family
arguments if you can afford a
separate television set for your
system* It also makes life easier if
you set up your equipment per¬
manently somewhere , A few power
sockets and a four-way block con¬
nector on a short length of exten¬
sion cable will help make it tidy.
The manual is written in great
detail and is reasonably easy to
follow. Some of the chapters may
not seem immediately relevant but
it is worthwhile reading them as
you might miss something impor¬
tant.
At this stage* patience is needed
in learning the ways in which the
computer will accept information.
It is tempting to try to enter pro¬
grams before you are ready but that
is likely to lead to errors. For exam¬
ple* words like AND, THEN and
AT should not be typed in letter by
letter.
By the time you have reached
chapter 11 in the T/S1000*ZX81
manual, you should have ac¬
cumulated sufficient knowledge to
be able to type in other people's
programs* such as those in Timex
Sinclair User,
It is important when using the
T/SlQ00,ZX81 that it is not jolted.
Some of the connections can easily
work loose and everything which
has been entered will be lost.
Asa way of relaxing you can buy
some of the growing range of
commercially-produced software.
This can be loaded directly from
cassette but make sure that your
machine is big enough to take the
tapes you buy.
The tapes vary in quality, and it
is advisable to read the reviews in
Timex Sinclair User and use your
judgment to find the best.
An alternative method to learn
about the T/31000,ZX81 is to
plunge in at the deep end and see
what the machine will do. Refer to
the manual when you have dif¬
ficulties. You can ignore the func¬
tions and calculations initially and
experiment with PRINT statements
to obtain the feel of the machine.
You may already have heard
about the problem involved in
SAVEing and LGADing your own
cassettes.
Usually they occur when
LGADing tapes recorded by other
people. One simple method to over¬
come this is to wind the tape to the
middle of the program and type
LOAD"” followed by ENTER; then
increase the volume of the recorder
slowly with the tape running until
the television screen shows four or
five thick black bands. If you then
rewind the tape, the program
should LOAD normally.
Finally, a health warning. Apart
from any practical uses, computing
with your Timex Sinclair machine
can be a very entertaining hobby
and is almost certainly habit¬
forming. You may easily find
yourself crouched over your
machine, red-eyed, in the early
hours of the morning thinking that
in another five minutes you will
solve the problem. Try to break that
habit by getting into the fresh air
and meeting other Sinclair users.
By obtaining a Timex Sinclair
computer you find that you have
joined a not very exclusive club
with many thousands of members,
many of whom would be only too
happy to advise you if you have dif¬
ficulties.
Make sure of your regular copies
of Timex Sinclair User and you can
be guaranteed many happy hours.
0^0
Get more out of your
TIMEX/SINCLAIR
with software from
RUN-IT!
Many unique programs including:
GRAPH IT
COMPUTER AWARENESS
REAL ESTATE ADVISOR
MORTGAGE/LOAN ANALYZER
MARKET GURU
MATH & STAT PROGRAMS
New cassette programs every
other month!
All with easy to use manuals!
SEND FOR FREE CATALOG!
Run-it
TUI I IW Software
Dept. 106, 732 S. Sherman
Chicago, IL 60605
For more Information, circle 25 on Reader Service Cord.
COMPUTER
BASF
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THE WORLD S FINEST
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Used nationwide by software manufac¬
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24573 K*Nn«g« Si TS Gjnogj P*rh CA 91307
1,1 mim i tiller
For more information, arc/e 27 on Header Service Card,
ATTENTION
TIMEX/ Sinclair 1000
and Sinclair ZX-81 ownw
If you ham' 1 bought a 16K RAH peck
yet because they're too expensive or be¬
cause you simply don't led Like witting
around lor a couple of months, then take
a look at ou t Our 16K RAM pack Is only
139 95 far a ktt and b available for tenme
dlate delivery
NOT ONLY THAT, but our ram pack.
are aignifltantiY more tellable than others
you ve aeen advertised at a higher price.
STATB-GF- THE- ART DESIGN
16K RAM PACK $39.95
Assembled and tested- $44. 95. case 14.95.
Shipping and handling $2,96
Florida resident, pkasc add 5% sale. tax.
2103
FL 33444
(305) 042-4255 (Set ring)
|*f®a** call or send SASE for miumuuuu
We will send you our Information .facet
along wtth a FREE !k-(ac-toe listing
LEARN TO
PROGRAM
Text and File Organizers with
ZX DATA FINDER
A high capacity information
storage and retrieval tool for
16 K Timex and Sinclair Com¬
puter*.
Advanced file input and editing
routines are thoroughly
analyzed,
Comprehensive search and
display methods are fully
explained .
AN ADVANCED COURSE
IN DATA HANDLING
Free specifications are
available, or send $9,95 for
program listing and text to;
THOMAS B. WOODS
F.O, Box 64, Jefferson, N.H. 63565
For more informal ion, circle 28 on Header Service Card-
TIMEX-SINCLAIR
ZX81 ^Soooo
1983 Directory
‘ Where to find: Disk Drives, RAM Extensions, Print
ere, Modems, Keyboards, Game A Serious Soft¬
ware, Books, Periodicals. Programming Ajds, and
other Exciting Accessories1
■ Articles on: Special applications like Control Cir¬
cuitry, E n h a need G f aphtes, Vo ice Ge Deration, Music
Synthesis, Video Inversion, Light Pens, Joysticks,
etc,
* Complete Descriptions; We'll tell you what it is,
what il does, how much it costs, and where to
buy it.
* jam- pecked w /photographs: We knew you'd
want lo see what these products look iike. So, we
got pictures and put them ml
Only $5.00 ... Postpaid!
To Order; Send check, money order, or VISA/MC
number and expiration dale. MM residents add
sales lax.
Dealer inquiries Welcome,
E, Arthur Brown Company
D ept 1 7 Q2 Oak Knoll Drive
Alexandria, MN 56306_ Ph: 612/762 8847
TIMEX SINCLAIR COMPUTER USERS
We Have The Bocks You Need
□ ART OF PROGRAMMING THE If ZX81
How to usa the features of the ZX81 m programs
that lit into the IK machine 96pp 15,75 postpaid.
□ ART OF PROGRAMMING THE 16K ZX81
How to use your 16K RAM pack and ZX punter to
the full 144 pp. 56.95 postpaid.
C ART OF PROGRAMMING THE ZX SPECTRUM.
Everything you need lo know lo put the ZX
Spectrum to work for you. 144 pp $3 postpaid,
ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY TODAY. INC
P 0 BOX 83
MASSAPEQUA PARK. NY 11762
Name: _
Address.
For more information, circle 26 on Reader Service Card,
For more information, circle JO on Reader Service Card.
02
(A.K .IditvCour
Vast database soon
available to Sinclair users
WITH THE next new com¬
puter from Sinclair
Research not expected until
next year, attention in the ILK. is
being focussed on expanding ex¬
isting systems.
The two major expansions for
which Sinclair owners are eagerly
waiting are the Microdrives and
Micronet 000. Both have been an¬
nounced but neither is yet
available.
The Microdrives are expected
soon but Sinclair is refusing to give
any details about when it will go on
sale or what it contains.
It is believed to be a tape loop
which will allow an extra 100K of
memory to be added to the Spec¬
trum, the U .K . version of the
T/S2GQ0. The necessary interface
will allow up to eight drives to be
attached. Each drive should cost
£40 ($50) and the interface will be
about £30 ($43).
While these expansion
possibilities seem large, the oppor¬
tunities offered by Micronet 000
are enormous.
Micronet 800 is a 30,000 page
database of information to which
Sinclair computer owners will be
able to attain access via the
telephone network for the cost of a
£50 ($72) adaptor plus a member¬
ship fee and usage charges.
Micronet 800 is a new service on
British Telecom's existing Prestel
network. Prestel allows owners of
customized TV to attain access to
information on everything from the
weather to theatre booking
facilities.
Now with the addition of
Micronet 000 database the whole
Prestel network is opened up to
microcomputer owners.
Subscribers will be able to
Nigel Clark
reports from
Britain on the
promises of more
expansion
download programs of all types,
have the latest news and reviews on
what is happening in the world of
personal computing, have the use
of an electronic mail system, and
there will be a section which clubs
can use to contact members. They
will also have access to the full
Prestel database.
Adaptors are being produced for
the full range of Micros in the
British market, but as yet they are
not available for the Spectrum or
the ZX81. The system has already
been launched with adaptors for
the BBC Model B, Apple II and
PET, and interest has been very
good. However, the backers will
not know if the system will be a suc¬
cess until they bring in users of the
market leader. It is intended to have
an adaptor for the Spectrum by this
month, with the ZX81 being catered
to later in the year.
Some delay has been caused by a
breakdown in relations between
Sinclair Research and a firm called
Martochoice, which was a joint
winner of a competition for a
Prestel adaptor for the ZX81 last
year. They were cooperating to pro¬
duce an adaptor for the Spectrum,
but this fell through this year
because of a disagreement within
Martochoice. For the moment,
Sinclair has dropped its own plans
for providing telesoftware, but
Micronet is going ahead with an
adaptor from another source.
It is seen in many circles as the
possible savior of the pioneering
Prestel Viewdata service. Interest
in the service has been slow to
build up with businesses being the
main customers. Users needed a
relatively expensive specially-
adapted television set and the cost
of using the systems was also
thought to be high for the home.
The rapid growth in home com¬
puting has provided a means for
changing all that.
An adaptor at a reasonable price
and lower user costs has already
generated a lot of interest, which is
expected to be quickly translated
into a growing number taking ad¬
vantage of the latest telecom¬
munications technology. 0 /o
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
Subscribe here
for Britain’s First Electronics 3e Computer Applications Magazine,
the publication with a unique blend of theory, projects, software
and product reviews, plus science and general features on a wide
variety of computing and electronics topics.
To Keep well informed of changes in computer technology send
^he coupon today.
Please put coupon in a sealed envelope to
Electronics a le Computer Monthly M
jr &
//
Subscription Dept
Competition House
Farndon Rd
Market Harbo rough
Leicestershire
England
For more information, circle 33 on reader service card.
Synchro-Sette
The Subscription Magazine for the
SINCLAIR ZX-81 / TS-1000
MICRO COMPUTERS
Games, Educational,
Business, Graphics, Tutorial, Etc.
12 Month Issues —
6 Bi-Month Cassettes
At Least 6 Programs Each
$39.50
Illinois residents add $2.07 Tax
Outside U S A add $10 00
24 HOUR HOTLINE:
(800) 543-1300
Ask For Operator 333,
THE $ & 5 COMPANY
P 388 W. L«ki Sir 881
■ Addison, Illinois 60101
(312) 628-8955
RAMPAK 16
16K RAM EXPANSION
FOR TIMEX/SINCLAIR
1000/ZX81
GROW
WITH US!
EXPANSION
PRODUCTS
FOR YOUR
MICROCOMPUTER
Expand your Timex Sinclair with RAMPAK 16.
Just plug in RAMPAK 16 and get 16K of additional
RAM memory No additional power required.
Packaged in an attractive black case. Every
RAMPAK 16 has a Lifetime Warranty when the
warranty card is returned to MSD* Ask for us by
name, MSD.
Times Sinclair 1000 ZXBi Trademark
of Time* Sinclair. RAMPAK 16
Copyright ol Micro Systems Develop-
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Dealer Inquiries:
1-800-527-5285
Mail Orders:
Southwest Micro
214-484-7836
W
MICRO SYSTEMS
QEVEUOPMENTi INC.
<214)241-3743
11105 Shady Trail * Suite 104 * Dallas, Texas 75229
For more information, circfe 31 on reader service card.
64
Far more information, cirde 32 on reader service card,
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
Use your computer in the case...
Foam rubber gives complete protection...
Purpose-built forTimex/Sinclair systems.
TS KXX) and 2000
Custom Cases.
Just $79".
Turn yourTimex/Sindair system
into a portable computing centre!
Your TS hardware - 1000 or 2000 - is
designed to work together as a system.
And now there's a simple way to make
the most of the fact.
The portable computing centre
in a briefcase.
A TS Custom Case holds all your
hardware in the most ergonomically
ZX81
Custom Case
also available!
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER
sensible positions for easy operation. Each
piece of equipment is gripped securely by
shock-absorbing foam. Each connecting
lead fits under the foam, so there ^5 no
chance of tangles. And as each piece is held
firmly, connections are excellent.
You can forget wasted time setting up or
unhooking the system, too. ^Xhen you've
finished, simply tuck in the mains and TV
leads and replace the hinged, lift-off lid.
And of course, if you're taking vour TS
system to college or the office, TS Custom
Cases are a lot less cumbersome than a bag
or rucksack. And a lot more protective and
professional.
Designed by TS enthusiasts -
for TS enthusiasts.
Both the TS 1000 and 2000 Custom
Gases were designed by a group of TS
system users and manufactured bv Britain's
leading case makers. Made from impact-
resistant ABS, each case holds every piece of
Timex Sinclair hardware available for the
respective computers - plus Learning Lab,
manual, softw are cassettes and any cassette
p i a v e r u p to 10 ■/ 2"x 5 W\ I f y ou h a ve n't a 1 1
the hardware, simply leave the pre-cut foam
in position, then remove it as you get extra
pieces of equipment.
And when brand new hardware is
introduced, or you upgrade from 1000 to 2000 ,
simply contact us for a replacement foam insert.
more information, circle 34 on reader service can
Send for your TS Custom Case - now !
TS 1000 and 2000 Custom Cases are
?ua ran teed for two years, and cost just
79.95 (inc. postage) each. Remember you
could pay more for an ordinary briefcase.
To order, simply use the coupon. Or
telephone 0276 62155 UK), weekdays.
COMPUTEX
CASES
Computex Cases (JBS), Stanhope Road,
Cambcrlcy, Surrey, GUIS 3PS, England.
Please allow 28 day* for delivery. 14-dav rmmev-hack undertaking
n
lb: Computes Gases UBS), Stanhope Road,
Camber Key* Surrey, GL15 3PS, England.
Please send me -
. (qty) TS 1000 Custom Case s)
at $79.95 (inc, airmail postage) each 01.
Please send me _ _ (qry) TS 2000 Custom Case s
at $79.95 : lnc. airmail postage each
Pl ease debit my □ Mastercard □ Visa
Please tick box as applicable. PLEASE PRINT.
Signal urc _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - -. _ _
Name: Mr/Mn/Ms _
Gty _
State _
Reg. in England no: 991 2S8.
7Jp
TSUSM5
65
Arguably the most famous personality
in the world computer industry, Clive
Sinclair remains something of an
enigma. Bill Richardson profiles the
man who helped pioneer the home
computer — selling over a million
Sinclair computers worldwide, and
600,000 more in the United States
under the Timex name
The Paradoxical World of
NOW 42, and with his com¬
pany, Sinclair Research,
recently valued at over 200
million dollars, Clive Sinclair can
reflect on a 20-year career in elec¬
tronics which has established him
as Britain's leading high-
technology entrepreneur.
He has many ‘firsts' to his name,
from the world's first pocket
calculator (1972) and pocket televi¬
sion (1977), through to the first
home computer under $100 (1983).
Ignoring those who believed that
only experts were interested in
computers, his aggressive
marketing has taken Sinclair
Research to the top.
He is both inventor and en¬
trepreneur, points acknowledged
recently by two major British
awards.
First, the leading industry weekly
Computing made him ‘person of the
decade’, in recognition of a
10-years1 radical and successful
new product and development.
Shortly after the Guardian
newspaper made Clive its ‘young
businessman of the year’ — and the
latest in an august line which in¬
cluded Sir Michael Edwards,
savior of the country’s onetime ail¬
ing car giant, BL.
Yet his response was typically
enigmatic. Td have done anything
to avoid this,’ he joked at Com¬
puting’s lunch presentation, and,
speaking to the prestige audience
Clive
Sinclair
packing London’s Mansion House,
at the Guardian award ceremony,
quipped, “I’m neither young nor a
businessman.”
“Uncle Clive ” to the British
man-in-the-street, he remains
essentially shy, shunning personal
publicity, except where it furthers
his company or his products.
“Money/* said this multi¬
millionaire in a recent interview,
“is only a means to an end, not to
make me wealthy but to produce
useful products which I think peo¬
ple will enjoy.”
He himself lives modestly — his
company reflecting the same
restrained and polished style. His
‘highs’ come, he says, “from doing
for a dime what any fool can do for
a dollar" — to translate a favorite
English phrase.
Sinclair has no formal elec¬
tronics training and opted not to go
to university, preferring to learn on
the job. He worked briefly as a jour¬
nalist before setting up his own
company in 1962.
Radio and amplifier kits were his
first products with hi-fi systems ad¬
ded in the late 1960s. During these
formative years he established the
principles which govern almost all
Sinclair products — miniaturizing
approach, low-cost for high perfor¬
mance, and a high-quality ap¬
pearance.
His aggressive style has not
always met with approval. Once in
the late 1970s as Sinclair worked on
digital watches, pocket televisions
and industrial instruments, his con-
centration on research and
development led the company into
a troubled period.
Government financial aid and in¬
tervention, via Britain’s National
Enterprise Board (NEB), Followed.
Disagreeing with the NEB’s
cautious policy on consumer elec¬
tronics, Sinclair moved out to
establish a new company, Sinclair
Research, and to vindicate himself
entirely with the personal com¬
puter.
Beginning with the ZX8Q and an
initial staff of only seven, Sinclair
Research has grown extremely
rapidly. It grossed 130,000 sales
with the ZX80, and now well over a
million with the more advanced
T/S100GtZX81,
Measuring just 6” x 6%” x IVa”,
the ZX81 took miniaturization to its
logical conclusion. Utilizing a four-
chip design based on a Sinclair-
designed ULA it maximizes high-
performance for low-cost — cur¬
rently just $69 in the United States,
— and presents a high-quality ap¬
pearance, confirmed by the U.K.
66
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
Design Council's 1982 award.
Behind this product lies an
integrated design approach,
stemming from a clearly
defined business philosophy.
Sinclair firmly believes in
keeping his company small —
even today there are only 55
direct employees — enabling
complete cooperation bet¬
ween all departments.
That way he aims to avoid
problems of large manage¬
ment superstructures and a
bureaucracy which might sti¬
fle creativity, so vital to a fast-
moving and increasingly com¬
petitive business. Sinclair sub¬
contracts all manufacture
and most distribution.
Out of its major relationship with
Timex grew the present agreement
which, in return for a royalty on all
sales, licenses Timex to use
Sinclair's technology and name to
“You set an objective — an
office robot, say — and plot
back from that the steps
necessary to achieve it”
manufacture and market personal
computers, computer peripherals
and software throughout North
America.
Sinclair believed that Timex's
manufacturing expertise with the
ZX81, allied with its acknowledged
marketing expertise in North
America, where it has around
70,000 outlets, would prove a for¬
midable combination — a belief
well-proven by T/S1000 sales.
Interestingly, the agreement
covers present and future
developments at Sinclair together
with Timex's own developments of
the basic technology. There is no
theoretical restriction on the poten¬
tial of new computers.
Beyond the T/S10GG, Timex ex¬
pects to introduce later this year its
version of Sinclair's Spectrum,
dubbed theT/S200Q. Spectrum, cur¬
rently priced from about $185 in
the ILK., follows the usual in¬
novative Sinclair pattern and with
its powerful 16K ROM and max¬
imum 48K RAM has opened a ma¬
jor new market. More than 200,000
have been sold in the U.K. alone.
The agreement exemplifies
Sinclair's whole approach — sub¬
contract wherever appropriate,
simple communication and flex¬
ibility. He abhors unnecessary fuss,
producing a withdrawn yet ag¬
gressive business style which
matches the personality and helps
explain the enigma.
He believes his ideas illustrate a
fundamental change now evolving
in the West's economic structure.
Increasingly he sees manufacturing
employment declining — with work
moving out to the Third World
once products become traditional.
Then, he says, you start again —
creating something new. By the
1990s, he hopes that Britain will
Clive says he likes “to do
for a dime what any fool
can do for a dollar”
have turned to the ‘products of the
mind' — books, video programs,
computer software, design and
consultancy services, health and
education packages.
Sinclair Research, he is confi¬
dent, has a major role to play in that
kind of world. Later this year, it
will launch a new 2" pocket televi¬
sion, incorporating advanced flat-
screen technology. A color version
will follow and there are tentative
plans to incorporate an enlarged
screen into future computer
developments.
Sinclair is currently explor¬
ing new ideas, many of them
perhaps years from commer¬
cial exploitation, and his ex¬
planation of the process offers
a fascinating insight.
"What one does, in fact, is
to see a distant objective — an
office robot, say — and to plot
back from that all the steps
that would need to be taken to
achieve it. Having done that
you might find that some of
these steps couldn't be taken,
so you would drop the idea for
a while — or try to find solu¬
tions to those problems.
"Take for example the elec¬
tric car that 1 propose to bring out
in 1985. Fve been toying with the
idea of doing an electric vehicle for
about 12 years, and done various
little experimental vehicles to try
Sinclair Research plans to
introduce a pocket TV this
year and an electric car in
_ 1965 , . ■ _
out this idea or that. But it wasn't
until two or three years ago that
there had been enough innovation
in all kinds of fields to give us a
package that clicked."
One might imagine that the
man's life is devoted solely to elec¬
tronics but he has a wide range of
outside interests, ranging from
mathematics — interestingly, he
prefers a slide rule to calculators or
computers — to the theatre.
Perhaps his greatest personal love
is poetry.
He is also a trustee of the Cam¬
bridge Symphony Orchestra and
chairman of the British Mensa
Society — an organization which
encourages intellectual contact
among all walks of life.
Somewhere between the inven¬
tor and the entrepreneur, between
the aggressive business style and
quiet individual, between the elec¬
tronics ideas and the cultural in¬
terests, lies the resolution of the
Sinclair enigma — and the sparking
point for a very successful man.a/*0
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
67
ILLUSTRATION © ]»79 BY STAN GILLIAM
These
kids’
books
make
learning
fun
Computers for Kids
and Katie and the Computer
THERE are many books on the
market today aimed at
teaching kids how to get the
most from their home computers.
Two of these are Computers for
Kids, by Sally Greenwood Larsen,
and Katie and the Computer, by
Fred D'lgnazio. Both are From
Creative Computing Press and both
should delight young computer
users everywhere,
Katie presents an Alice in
Wonderland-type of story in which
a young girl travels inside a home
computer to see how it works. The
machine is presented as a fantasy
world of excitement and mystery;
its various functions are per¬
sonified as workers in a large
metropolis. Through her computer
travels, Katie witnesses first-hand
how each function operates as she
visits each worker on a quest to pro¬
duce a picture of a flower on her
monitor. She learns that each byte
(worker) represents a specific
number or letter and that the
various functions (also workers)
must work together in a precise
order to produce the desired
results.
There are no ‘how-to's1 in this
book. It will not teach children who
already have home computers how
to use them. More of a bedtime
story along the lines of a fairy tale,
Katie and the Computer is useful for
introducing children to the idea of
operating a home computer, for
they will easily identify with Katie
as she feels “happy, scared, and sil¬
ly all at the same time.” Like Katie,
children may discover that using a
home computer is “better than a
roller coaster.”
Computers for Kids, on the other
hand, is a straightforward 4how-to'
book that will guide home com¬
puter users of all ages through the
various functions of the computer
by practical application. Its step-by-
step instructions allow hands-on
application of principles that are
outlined clearly and precisely. It is
laid out attractively in lesson form
with kids in mind: the lesson on
flowcharting, for example, presents
the problem, “How to Scare your
Mom with an Elephant,”
Unlike Katie and the Computer,
which is a hardcover book with full
color illustrations (by Stan Gilliam),
Computers for Kids is a softcover
edition with black and white il-
A programming
bug from
Katie.
lustrations. But the illustrations are
secondary to the text, which in¬
cludes sections on flowcharting,
programming, saving and loading,
and explains terms used in Basic.
Computers for Kids introduces
children to the computer in a
friendly, no-nonsense way, and en¬
courages exploration and ex¬
perimentation. It emphasizes that
knowledge and know-how in¬
creases with practice, and en¬
courages users to create and try out
their own programs, A very helpful
special section is aimed at helping
parents and teachers, but the book
is so easy to follow and the lessons
so well explained that most kids
should be able to follow it quite
easily on their own. And once
they’ve read the book and practiced
the lesson assignments, they will
have developed a sound under¬
standing of their computer and will
be ready to go on to a more in-depth
study of computer language and
technology. But of course they'll
just think they're having fun.
To be useful as a learning guide,
Katie and the Computer would un¬
questionably have to be used in
conjunction with a book such as
Computers for Kids. Katie inspires
questions it does not answer. It will
take its place on the shelf beside
other childrens’ stories, but Com¬
puters for Kids will be kept within
reach of the computer, a useful
guide and reference for the novice
of any age, — M. K. Wilson
68
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER /tine 1983
about ROMs
IN Understanding Your ZX-&1
ROM, by Ian Logan, the reader
doesn't have to contend with an
update from the Sinclair ZX-80.
Hold your joy, however, because
since the book was published
Sinclair has modified their original
8K ROM monitor. A two-page in¬
sert at the front of the book explains
the differences, which are about a
3-byte offset from many of the
figures given in the text Of course,
as time passes other ZX ROMs
monitor versions will appear as
these hidden trouble spots create
problems and need to be
eliminated.
The author logically assumes
that the reader has a working
knowledge of Timex/Sinclair Basic.
He also writes for the person who
knows the essential flow of a com¬
puter program. Following a quick
review of the five basic I/O systems
for the ZX81, the author gives an
excellent overview on the function
of the Z log Z80 CPU.
A brief introduction to machine
coding is covered and contrasted
with a like program segment in
Basic. The author covers simple
mathematics by explaining
arithmetic in absolute binary and
two's complement.
Armed with a two-page overview
of hexadecimal coding (HEX), the
author does an excellent job of
tackling the Z00 machine code in¬
struction set. The instruction set is
conveniently divided into 18 major
groups based on their functions. A
definite plus to the book would
have been a table in the back with
instructions given in the 18 major
groups.
The explanation of each group is
given by referring to the 8K ROM
for examples. By the time the
reader has finished reading about
all 18 groups, he should have gain-
ed excellent insight into the work¬
ings of the T/S100Q monitor and
Basic interpreter.
However, don't try to cover all 18
groups in one reading. Dr. Ian
Understanding Your ZX-81 ROM
Logan has put many hours into the
preparation of his text and the
reader will need considerable time
to assimilate the information.
Logan gives the reader another
chance if things get fuzzy on the
first run-through on the 18 instruc¬
tion code groups. Chapter Five
demonstrates machine code pro¬
grams for each group. Basic
routines are also included to reveal
the differences. These programs
are short and require less than IK
of RAM. Finally, Chapter Six pro¬
vides a good overview of the 8K
ROM monitor program.
The reader is going
to need several sessiomrwith this
book. But once he's gotten the in¬
formation, he can dazzle his friends
in a ZX81/Timex user group by
writing a few machine code
routines.
The book will also be an in¬
valuable reference guide for some¬
one using machine code routines.
The publishers, Melbourne House,
seem opposed to any sort of index.
Such an index would have been a
valuable addition.
— Warren Smith
and Harry Petheram
Fresh air
from Reston
Making the Most of Your Timex Sinclair
IF YOU’VE ever had to struggle
through page after page of a bor¬
ing book, you'll really appreciate
this breath of fresh air: in fact,
customs officials should have
bestowed it a personality award.
It’s fun. The writing is very
readable and will please both adult
and child.
The book oozes personality. Part
of that allure lies in its immigrant
status: it was originally printed in
England and brought to the United
States by Reston. The American
version is an intact duplicate of its
British counterpart — Britishisms
and all.
About 30 programs are stuffed
into its pages. Each chapter in¬
cludes a preamble, discussing par¬
ticulars of each program, an ex¬
planation of how each’s logic
works, and a program listing. Pro¬
grams include home applications
for record keeping, a decision
maker, an ESP test, a math quiz,
Lost In Space, UFO, and a sprink¬
ling of light-hearted games.
Besides the programs which
make up the main body of the book,
there are a few other important
features. The beginning of the book
details the working nature of the
graphics commands and random
number strategies. These, by the
way, are the two all-important keys
to making a game interesting.
Understanding them lends pro¬
gram design a clearer track.
The back of the book offers some
useful subroutines — a compen¬
dium of short programs designed to
make program writing less
frustrating. Of these, the most
valuable is the line renumbering
utility. This program alone justifies
my purchase of the book,
Hartnell’s book was one of the
first Timex/Sinclair books publish¬
ed in this country, and one of the
top sellers. No wonder! 0^0
— Tim Banse
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1903
69
“CLEVER CONTEST”
'0
WRITE AN UNUSUAL
PROGRAM
AND WIN $20
10 WINNERS
Here it is — Timex Sinclair User's second pro¬
gramming competition. Write a program,
any length, IK to 16K, that does something
unusual — not a game — not necessarily
useful — just something unusuall
Maybe it produces the Illusion of color on a
black and white television; maybe it presents
the most startling graphic we've ever seen;
maybe — well, you do it and we’ll judge it.
Make it
CLEVER, DIFFERENT,
STRANGE & UNUSUAL
and you could win $20!
Fill in the entry form at right
and send it to us along with
your program and a short ex¬
planation of what it does. (You
may send a cassette, but please
accompany it with a neatly-
typed or beautifully hand¬
written listing.) Your entry must
reach us by July 15, 1983. Please
mark envelope, “Clever Con¬
test." Judges’ decisions final;
employees of ECC Publications
ineligible.
I
Send to:
CLEVER CONTEST, c/o Timex
Sinclair User, 49 LaSalle
Avenue. Buffalo, N.Y. 14214
Name _
Street _
City _ State
.Zip.
Program Title.
Sorry, no submission can be returned.
~B>H//efihr£
Got some information you’d like to share regarding
a new product or service or idea? Organizing an event
you’d like to see listed? Let us know!
Write to Bulletin Board, Timex Sinclair User,
49 La Salle Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. 14214
2-Bit Software of Del
Mar, California, has in¬
troduced a software four-
pack that satirizes the
suburban homemaker- Mad
Dash test your ability to
race through the house
when you haven’t had a
break all day , while Car/ooJ
demands that you figure out
how to use the least amount
of gas while running er¬
rands all over town. Har¬
ried House wife rewards you
with a hot bath and nap
after a hectic day that in-
Software
satirizes
suburbanites
eludes a dazed search for
your car in the parking lot
of Shopping Mail. If you
want to learn more, circle
63 on the reader service
card and drop it in the mail
V... *'We may have a
keyboard for the T/S1000,"
Pegasus Micro Systems of
Chestertown, Maryland,
tells us, "that will allow you
single stroke or at least you
will only have to hit one
shift key to get a command.
This differs from the cur-
rent keyboard where you
have to hit five keys to get to
the command you want,”
Pegasus comprises a group
of programmers who have
recently turned to
marketing their own pro¬
ducts; their winged-horse
log o is d is E inctive. The i r
product list includes pro¬
grams written in-house and
by outside programmers; it
is limited at the moment to
a program of lists and an
astromap, both of which
need the 16K RAM pack.
They plan more software
and hardware for the pro¬
posed T/S2000. For more in¬
formation, circle 64 on
reader service card . , .
Syntech has brought out a
motherboard known as
MicroMother which will at¬
tach to the T/SlOOO through
a ribbon cable and will ac¬
commodate up to four cir¬
cuit hoards. The company
has also developed a series
of boards for use with the
mother and known as
MicroDaughters. They in¬
clude a PROM program¬
mer, an IBM keyboard
driver modem and a real
time clock. Further infor¬
mation can be obtained by
circling 65 on the reader
service card . . Orbyte
Software of Waterbury,
Connecticut, is offering a
software package that pits
you against the computer in
a four-tiered version of the
old standard. Tic Tac Toe, a
game that prehistoric men
must have played on the
wails of their caves. Expo
Tic-Toc-Toe can be played
at four levels of difficulty
from beginner to impossi-
ole. For more information,
circle 66 on reader service
card ... In their newsletter
of March 1983, the Sinclair
Users’ Network of Palatine,
Illinois, recommends the
E-Z Key 60 keyboard by E-Z
Key. Quotable quotes:
"Now . . . we all can benefit
from depressable keys
without knowing what a
good solder joint looks like
. . . The keys feel good and
provide excellent tactile
and audible feedback . , . It
has been found to be easy to
connect, trouble-free, and a
great aid in the entry of
keywords and data i + .” For
more information on the
E-Z Key 00, circle 67 on the
reader service card and
watch our Hardware pages
. . . ZX-Panding Ltd. of
Newton, N.C., has introduc¬
ed what it claims is the first
complete data storage pro¬
gram with graphing
capabilities for the
T/S1000.ZX91, Their Data
Storage and Display System
($14.75) "allows you to
closely monitor stock
market, experimental or
any numerical data . * ,
These values can be stored
in up to 25 files in the com¬
puter and then recalled as a
tabular list or graph accom¬
panied by a data summary.”
For more information, cir*
ale 68 on reader service
card . . . E. Arthur Brown
Company of Alexandria,
Maine, has published the
Timex-Sindair 1983 Direc¬
tory, a 90-page softcover
book that lists, describes
and provides photographs
of available peripherals and
software for the
T/SlOOOjZXSl, The book,
which will sell for $S, is
subtitled, "Where to Find
Practically Everything for
the Timex-Sinclair Com¬
puter,” and includes an up-
to-the-minute directory of
suppliers. For more infor¬
mation, circle 69 on the
reader service card and
watch our book pages If
you’ve got a new product or
service or idea that you'd
like to share with our
readers, write to Bulletin
Board, Timex Sinclair
User, 49 La Salle Avenue,
Buffalo, N,Y. 14214.
Remember, this page is for
you! JIlV a sm
Upcoming events
June 1-3 International
Communications
Assoc. Conference
and Exposition,
Anaheim, CA *4 .
1-3 Montreal
Computer Show &
Conference,
Montreal Que.
5-8 International
Summer
Consumer
Electronics Show,
Chicago, JL
9-12 Kansas City
Computer
Showcase Expo,
Kansas City, MO
12-17 American Society
for Medical
Technology-
Meeting &
Exhibit, Los
Angeles, CA
14-16 AFCEA
Convention and
Expo, 'V
Washington, DC
14- 18 Micro Expo,
- Paris, F woe, 4 y
15- 19 Milwaukee
Computer
Showcase,
Milwaukee, WI
19-22 Internationa]
Conference on
Communications,
Boston, MA
22-4 Computerama '83,
Toronto, Gnt.
27-29 Videotext '83,
New York, NY
29-7/i Dexpof Europe,
London, Eng,
July 11-13 Meeting World,
New York, NY
25-29 Siggraph '83,
Detroit, MI
29-31 Los
Angeles/Produx
t* 2000, Los
Angeles, CA
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
71
Use this free
info service
To obtain more information on any adver¬
tiser or product in Timex Sinclair User, cir¬
cle the appropriate number on the reader
service card .
w*sv.v:va
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* ♦ * ♦ * ■ * *■
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il!
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Page Advertiser Circle
Number
Brainchild , . . 21
13 Byte Back . . , . . . 6
72 Cascade . . . * * * * . 35
11 Computer Entrepreneur ... _ 7
65 Computex Cases . . 34
72 Cover Craft . 36
48-49 DK'Tronics . . 19
45 Eagle Sales Co. - - . . . . 16
62 E. Arthur Brown ..............
64 Electronics & Computing . . 33
62 Electronic Tech. Today . . . 30
26 Expense Cutter 10
41 E-Z Key . 9
31 Felix Software . . . . 15
8 Filesixty . . . , , 40
20-21 Gladstone Electronics . . 8
C2 Gladstone Electronics . 37
54 Hunter . . 20
6 Innovation . . 3
55 Intercomputer . . 23
18 Inti. Pub. & Software . . 5
24 Infl. Pub. & Software . . 17
26 Kempston , . . . . . 11
26 K5GFT . 12
62 Laserscan . . . 26
C4 Leading Edge . 39
10 Melbourne House ............. 4
C3 Memotech . . 38
26 Microdevelopments . 13
64 Microsystems Development ..... 32
54 Notting Dale Tech. Ctr . 22
57-60 Prism Microproducts . 24
62 Run-it . . . . 25
31 Sinclair Place ........... _ 14
64 Synchro-Sette . 31
4*5 Syntax . . . . 2
1 Timex . . 1
62 Tom Woods . . 28
62 York 10 . 27
32 Zebra 18
Take it with you 2
Fieldpro™ now makes it easy for
you to carry your entire Timex/
Sinclair computer system with
you. Carry memory modules,
cables, program book and cassette
tapes in one case!
Made of waterproof DuPont®
Cordura* nylon — fully foam-
padded and soft-lined, this case
will last for years.
Contact us for the dealer near¬
est you. Only $19.95. (If ordering
direct, include $2.25 shipping
charge.)
Also available, anti-static dust
cover for $6.95. Order with case
and save extra shipping charge.
m
BY COVER CRAFT W II KZ/
P.O. Box 555, Amherst, New Hampshire 03031 * Telephone 603-889-6611
72
For more Information, circle on Header Service Card.
TIMEX SINCLAIR USER June 1983
TIMEX MAKES THE
COMPUTER,
BUT WE MAKE IT TICK.
If you own a TS-1000 or ZX-81 computer and want to bring out the power within it, you’ll want Memotech. From easier input to high
quality output and greater memory, Memotech makes the add-ons you demand. Every Memotech peripheral J
comes in a black anodized aluminum case and is designed to fit together in “piggy back" fashion enabling you
to continue to add on and still keep an integrated system look.
MEMOPAK RAM All Memopak RAMs are directly addressable, user transparent, are neither switched nor
paged and no additional power supply is required. You can also choose the Memopak RAM which is just
right for your needs. From economy to power. 16K RAM The Memopak 16K RAM is the most
economical way to add memory to your TS-1000. It is fully compatible with the Timex or Memotech 16K
RAMs to provide you with up to 32K of RAM. The 16K RAM also offers additional add-on capabilities
through its “piggy back” connection. 32K RAM The 322K Memopak enables you to execute
sophisticated programs and store large data bases and like the 16K RAM is hilly compatible with Timex’s or
Memotech's 16K RAMs to give you a full 48K of RAM. 64K RAM The 64K Memopak is powerful
enough to turn your TS-1000 into a computer with capabilities suitable for business and educational use. It
accepts such BASIC commands as 10 DIM A (9000) . MEMOCALC Memocatc, our spreadsheet analysis
software, enables TS-1000 users to perform complex number crunching routines with ease. With
the 64K RAM a table of up to 7000 numbers with up to 250 rows or 99 columns can be specified.
Quick revisions can be achieved by entering new data to your formula.
MEMOTECH KEYBOARD For ease of operation, the Memotech keyboard is a high quality
standard typewriter keyboard, with TS-1000 legends. The keyboard is cable connected to a buffered
interface which is housed in a standard Memopak case and plugs directly into the back of the
TS-1000 or other Memopaks. MEMOPAK HRG The Memopak High Resolution Graphics, with
up to 192 by 248 pixel resolution, enables display of high resolution “arcade game" style graphics
through its resident 2K EPROM, programmed with a full range of graphics subroutines.
CENTRONICS PARALLEL AND RS232 INTERFACES
Memotech's Interfaces enable your TS-1000 to use a wide range of
compatible printers. The resident software in the units gives the
complete ASCII set of characters. Both Memopak Interfaces provide lower case character capabilities and
up to 80 column printing. The RS232 Interface is also compatible with modems and terminals.
SEIKOSHA GP IOOA PRINTER The Seikosha GP 100A uses a 5x7 dot matrix printing format with
ASCII standard upper and lower case character set. Printing speed is 30 characters/second with a
maximum width of 80 characters. The printer uses standard fanfold paper up to
9-1/2 inches wide. The GP 100A is offered as a package including cable and
interface. Other printer packages are also
available through Memotech.
ORDER AT NO RISK. All Memotech
products carry our 10 day money back
guarantee. If you’re not completely
satisfied, return it within ten days and we
will give you a full refund. And every
Memotech product comes with a six
month warranty. Should anything be
defective with your Memotech product, return it to us and we will repair or replace
it free of charge. Dealer inquiries welcome, lb order any Memotech product use
the order coupon or call our toll-free number 800/662-0949.
TMOOO is 1 registered trademark of Tirasx Corp
PlmOTtCn
CORPORATION
7550 West Yale Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80227, 303/986-1516, TOC 910-320^917
["Mail To: Memtdrch Corporation , 7550 West Vale Avp., Denver, CO 80227
Pto* Qty. Until
■ IfeK RAH
( 49 ft j
| 3iK RAM
ftft
| HK RAM
149 ft
1 Ylemocak
49 ft
i keyboard with Interface
ftft
. High Resolution Graphics
ftft
■ Centronics Parallel Interface
?4ft
, K5232 Interface
ftft
1 Printer Cable
19 ft
| GP ICKlA Printer Package*’
MM l
| Shipping and Handling
4ft ( 4ft 1
1 fix (Colorado r&ldents only)
TOTAL
* 1
' ‘Alt prices quoted m U S doftare Plies and specifications subfea w change without notice. 1
| “Please add an additional (5 00 for printer shipping charge
i □ Check □ MaslnCaid □ Vfca
J Account No
F.*i>
: i i 1
i Name
1 _
Ptiwje number
| .Addles
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
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Slate Zip |
-J
For more information circle, Reader Service Number 38
Introducing the most logical place to store
Elephant Memory Systems® (or lesser brands
of aisks): The Trunk.
With its alphabetized library index, you can
file or retrieve up to 60 disks, instantly.
The Trunk is made of durable molded
plastic with a hinged, one-piece lid, to keep
disks safe from dust, dirt, and other detriments
which disks despise.
And, it's portable. Because the lid doubles
as a carrying handle so your Elephant Memory
Systems® disks can go anywhere you do.
There’s a model for 5V4" and 8 " floppies, as
well as a cassette-and-game file and a special
Atari® version.
So if you’re looking for the best disk storage
system on the market , . .
The Trunk is an open-and-shut case.
THE TRUNK. ENDORSED DY ELEPHANTS.
Elephant Memory Systems Disks
A full line of top-quality floppies, in virtually every 5W and 8" model, for compatibility with virtually every computer on the market.
Guaranteed to meet or exceed every industry standard, certified 100 % error free and problem-free, and to maintain its quality for at least
12 million passes for over a life-time of heavy-duty use /
Marketed exclusively by Leading Edge Products, Inc.. 225 Turnpike Street. Qmton. Massachusetts 02021.
Call: toll-free 1-800-343-6833; or in Massachusetts cal! collect 1617 ) 828-8150. Telex 951-624.
For more in/ormaiion* circle 39 on reader service cord.